Nuns Island and Earls Island are to be transformed into a focal point of culture, research, education, business, and accommodation as NUI Galway set to develop much of the area into the ‘Innovation and Creativity District’.
The €4.3 million development will see a new innovation hub and riverside campus to strengthen links between business, research, and the city itself; a performance space to support the arts and culture in the city; affordable and sustainable on-campus accommodation; and the expansion of the Galway to Connemara Greenway through the city and the university campus.
Planning permission for this ambitious development is beingh sought from the Galway City Council and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. NUIG president, Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said this represents “a major step forward” and “a milestone in supporting this vital project in and for Galway”.
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NUIG president, Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh.
The funding comes from the €53.24 million announced for the Galway City Council last week for a variety of major infrastructure projects, including the Ceannt Quarter Regeneration; the Galway City Cycle Network; the Clifden Railway Cycle and Pedestrian Bridge; the Cathedral Plaza Project, among others.
'Distinct areas'
The Innovation and Creativity district development will consist of two distinct areas – northern and southern, and each will be designed to have a distinct atmosphere and sense of place.
The northern area will feature an academic building; a multi-purpose cultural venue, to reflect NUIG’s place in the cultural life of the city; and a hotel connected to the university both physically, and in terms of planned usage and integration with teaching. The area will be designed to support engagement with the waterways and the natural landscapes of this urban environment.
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The southern area - as depicted in the artist sketch above - has two key zones of activity. Zone 1 will have a residential Waterways Village, and it is planned that this will involve affordable accommodation. Zone 2, the redeveloped Mills, will be the location for the Innovation centre - City Lab, NUI Galway’s adult education centre - as well as outreach and showcase venues to provide outlets for creativity and community engagement; as well as new social spaces.
Both Prof Ó hÓgartaigh and Brendan McGrath, chief executive of the Galway City Council said the university’s Innovation and Creativity District will be “transformative for Galway”.
Consultation
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While an initial public consultation has already taken place, NUI Galway and the Galway City Council said stakeholders will be fully engaged with and that further consultations will take place.
“NUI Galway is committed to the public good and this development very much speaks to this ethos and to our core values of openness, respect, sustainability, and excellence,” said Prof Ó hÓgartaigh. “The plan for Nuns’ Island will continue to be developed following consultation with our local community. We look forward to further engaging with our community to deliver the best possible project for our region, for our world.”
For more information see www.nuigalway.ie/buildings/nunsisland
