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WORK on the demolition of the former Denny factory won’t take place until after a contractor is appointed in late June or early July.
The contract for the demolition of the buildings and the clearance of the site has been advertised in the past week.
The development of a masterplan for the former Denny factory site at the Island of Geese in Tralee is progressing well according to Kerry County Council, with initial engagement with councillors in the Tralee Municipal District and many local stakeholders already underway.
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Since their appointment as the company to draw up the plan for the 2.3 acre site in early April, Reddy Architecture + Urbanism have been examining the history of the site and identifying its links with other key pieces of heritage infrastructure and places of interest in the area.
Stakeholders such as key local residents and business and property owners as well as other interested parties have been consulted by those responsible for the masterplan and local councillors have been briefed on the initial phase of the work.
Reddy Architecture + Urbanism have been tasked with identifying options for the strategic site which was gifted to the people of Tralee by Kerry Group in 2014. They have been asked to assess how best to utilise the site while incorporating a number of guiding principles including:
• Stimulating economic growth and job creation in the town
• Enhancement of the physical fabric of the area
• Promoting the regeneration of Tralee Town Centre West
• Ensuring the area is vibrant and socially inclusive
• Retaining a minimum of 30% of the site for public realm/amenity space
Work has begun on a first draft of the masterplan and councillors in the Tralee Municipal District will be kept briefed on progress over the summer.
A draft plan will then go out for public consultation and feedback from the community. This formal consultation process is expected to begin at the end of the summer.
All of the submissions received during the formal and informal consultation processes which took place in 2016 are currently being considered and it is intended that suggestions from members of the public which might not necessarily be suitable for realisation on the Denny site may be considered for other locations in the town.
The demolition and clearance of the former factory buildings and the site itself is a process which is separate but runs parallel to the development of the masterplan.
The contract for the demolition and clearance of the site went out to tender in the past week with a contractor expected to be in place by the end of June or early July. Demolition and clearance will begin shortly thereafter.
The red-brick chimney on site which was a centrepiece of the factory and is of historical and heritage value will be retained as will be a building containing a rare example of Belfast Truss roofing.
