Wexford County Council Chief Executive Tom Enright has today has announced ambitious plans for the large scale re-development of a 10 acre brown-field site in Wexford Town.
Trinity Wharf overlooks Wexford Estuary and is close to the Crescent and Wexford Town centre. Wexford County Council has recently acquired the entire site for €800,000, which is understood to be around 10% of its cost 10 years ago. The Council will shortly appoint consultants to prepare an overall masterplan for its comprehensive re-development.
Since taking up his position in Wexford County Council in 2014, Mr Enright has expressed the need to develop a high-quality business park for the town which would provide large-scale clustered corporate office space and sees the iconic Trinity Wharf site as an ideal location for such a venture. The overall design concept for the site is an early stage, but the proposed development is likely to include a mix of modern office space, hotel accommodation and residential units. Total investment is estimated at some 35 million euro.
Minister Brendan Howlin has welcomed the announcement, describing the proposed redevelopment of the site as a “game-changer” in on-going efforts to increase office-based employment opportunities in County Wexford.
“Wexford has been very successful in growing the international companies established here, such as Waters Technology, BNY Mellon and Zurich Insurances” said Minister Howlin. “Part of the difficulty in increasing the flow of such investment is the absence of suitable property solutions to meet investors’ expectations. It is essential therefore that we have a range of suitable options for companies considering Wexford as a location in which to invest and I am confident that the development of Trinity Wharf will prove highly attractive in this regard”.
Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council Councillor Tony Dempsey also praised the initiative and promised the full support of the elected members in advancing the project, saying “It is appropriate, indeed essential that Wexford County Council takes a lead role in attracting jobs to our county by investing in the type of modern infrastructure that is expected and required by those seeking to invest here”.
CEO of Wexford Chamber of Commerce, Madeline Quirke also endorsed the re-development of Trinity Wharf and expressed strong support on behalf of the business community for the project. “The development of office accommodation at Trinity Wharf has real potential to further enhance Wexford’s deserved reputation as a great place to live and work by providing a progressive and modern working environment for the many companies who are choosing Wexford as their preferred location” said Ms. Quirke.
Mr Enright acknowledges that to create the right environment to attract and retain employment, a mix of uses is required on the Trinity Wharf site. This mix could include public amenities, a marina, a hotel, restaurants and a modest level of residential accommodation located alongside the large-scale corporate office development. Mr Enright believes that the iconic Trinity Wharf site has the potential to be a location where in excess of 1,000 people could be employed over the next 5 to 10 years, possibly in internationally traded services such as finance and insurance. Mr Enright confirmed that the development will be delivered through a public-private-partnership arrangement and that the Council has already had initial discussions with a number of potential investors and the IDA.
A photograph of the former Wexford Electronix site.
Mr. Enright also agrees that the Council’s decision to lead the development of high-quality office accommodation will attract further jobs to Wexford. “We need to create the space for existing local companies to expand into. The very high demand and cost of office accommodation in Dublin also provides a unique opportunity for Wexford to attract new companies here, as the significantly improved road access brings us very close to the capital. More often than not, companies are under time pressure to establish their presence quickly and get up and running. They require readily available, attractive, cost-effective, large-scale modern office facilities and Trinity Wharf will meet all of those criteria” said Mr. Enright.
Mr Enright sees the Trinity Wharf development as one of a range of measures that Wexford County Council is leading to provide property solutions for business and says other developments are planned. “We are currently at an advanced stage of developing proposals in each of the key towns of Enniscorthy, Gorey and New Ross and we will be outlining our plans for these in the coming weeks.” He added “Each proposal will be different and will meet specific business needs which the Council has identified from research it has undertaken”.
