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TRALEE Chamber wants the Courthouse on Ashe Street to be looked as a potential ‘visitor hub with a civic, arts, sports history and/or Heritage centre usage’ should the courts services move to new location as expected.
This follows on from Tralee Tourism Strategy published by Tralee Chamber in 2019, which highlighted the need for the development of a ‘Visitor Hub’ in the centre of town as a key focal piece required for Tralee to truly develop as a ‘Destination Town’.
With the development of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway, and the allocation of funding of up to €500,000 to Tralee through Failte Ireland’s Destination Town programme, Tralee Chamber has identified the opportunity for Tralee to seek the development of a central focal point for visitors and locals to engage with all that the town and its surroundings has to offer.
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The Chamber believe that in light of the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Courthouse on Ashe Street, there may be a need to identify potential uses for the historic building, that would provide much needed footfall to the town centre.
Tralee Chamber’s submission is asking for consideration to be given to ‘the future potential use of the former Kerry Protestant Hall and the current Court House Building on Ashe Street’ through a ‘ feasibility study on the re-use of the Courthouse as a Visitor Hub with a Civic, Arts, Sports History and/or Heritage centre usage’.
Kevin McCarthy, President of Tralee Chamber said “While our preference is keeping the court services where it is, if it is to be the case that a new court building is to be developed elsewhere in town, we cannot allow the existing building to lay idle. We must plan now for the building’s potential use in a way that it will be of a benefit in generating large footfall to Ashe Street and to the town centre. The use of the existing building must be a guaranteed condition before any final decision is allowed to progress on the future of the court services in Tralee”.
What a waste.
Why does no one want a museum for the Rose of Tralee?
It would be a unique museum only Tralee could offer!
I firmly believe that the Denny Site, which was a hub of community work and produce for many years, should not now be used for a legal service which will bring the problems of the larger community in the area for legal decision.
The courthouse will be used during the week but lay empty at night an at weekends so how will this benefit the local environment?
Some court services were available in the Centrepoint building so that could be used for cases, as security is already present.
I passionately believe that the decision makers in this issue have not considered us local residents and wonder how many of them live in the area?.