Owners Of Vacant Buildings In Town Asked To Take Part In ‘Meanwhile Space’ Initiative

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OWNERS of commercial buildings in Tralee town centre are being asked to allow artists, performers and young entrepreneurs use their vacant properties on a temporary basis.

Tralee Chamber says there is an opportunity to rebuild Tralee as the festivals and events capital of the county with such initiatives as the ‘Meanwhile Space’ movement.

The ‘Meanwhile Space’ movement that began in the UK under the Open Doors initiative has led to the establishment of similar programmes in Leitrim and Waterford.

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Tralee Chamber are proposing that the programme be activated as a pilot in Tralee for 12 months where vacant properties are provided free of charge as facilities for artists, groups, performers and start-up retailers as locations open to the public.

In principle the programme would see temporary use contracts, supported by Tralee Chamber, given to local groups to use empty spaces.

The spaces would be provided free of rent and local authority commercial rates, in exchange the groups would commit to maintenance of the vacant unit, cover the cost of utilities and to ‘pay it forward’ would commit to public performances, murals or other works to benefit the town.

Tralee Chamber gives the example of the team behind the ‘International Circus Festival of Ireland’ based in Tralee.

Ken Tobin explained; “If the Circus Festival team had a home in a suitable vacant unit in Tralee to develop and grow, they could also use the streets of the town as their practice studio, imagine the vibrancy and excitement that would bring week on week to the streets of Tralee.”

“We would be looking for the owners of the properties to take a leap of faith with us. Their properties would stay on the market for sale or lease while its being used temporarily, and the group using the space would have to commit to vacating the unit if it finds a permanent tenant. However, we believe a unit that is in use generating footfall is more likely to sell than a vacant unit that is disguised with decals.”

Tralee Chamber have engaged with Kerry County Council with a request to support the programme by waiving rates for these units that are being temporarily used, even though in some cases the artists or start-ups will be undertaking some modest commercial activity.

To further support the programme, Tralee Chamber believe that the start-up businesses and some of the artists that avail of the meanwhile space programme, could be supported further by the Chamber and Kerry Local Enterprise Office to build a sustainable business, potentially becoming the permanent tenant of the units they are occupying.

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