Sod turned on €15 million ‘Edenderry Regeneration’ works project
Major redevelopment of prominent town centre derelict site to include library and arts base
The sod was turned on a major redevelopment of the former derelict Tesco site in Edenderry town centre on Thursday by Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary.
The ‘Edenderry Regeneration’ project, which has received €15m million under his Department’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, delivers on a plan to transform the town and enhance its vibrancy and enable people to live and work in a high-quality environment.
The works, commencing today, will redevelop the former derelict Tesco site to provide a new Community Library and Arts Base. It will deliver new pedestrian and cycle connections and improve the public realm and parking facilities within the town.
Speaking at the sod turning, Minister Calleary said: “This is a major redevelopment that will see the revitalisation of a derelict site through the creation of a town centre asset to provide a new Community Library and Arts Base, pedestrian and cycle connections, improved public realm and parking. I am delighted that Offaly County Council recognise the importance of the Public Library Strategy by incorporating a modern, inclusive community library into this space.
“The Edenderry Regeneration project reflects what the RRDF is all about, revitalising the town centre, enhancing its vibrancy and enabling people to live and work in a modern, high-quality environment.”
The new two-storey state-of-the-art Community Library and Arts based facility will include:
· Adult, Teen and Children’s libraries
· Arts Base / Multipurpose Space Artist’s Studios
· Meeting Rooms
· Wet Workshop, Catering Kitchenette, Sensory Room
· Facility Staff Offices
Minister Calleary added: “The RRDF programme is our flagship funding mechanism in the department and its investments, such as this here in Edenderry, is helping unlock the enormous potential in rural Ireland, supporting regeneration and, in doing so, is making rural Ireland a better place to live, work, invest and visit.
“I look forward to following the development of this new library and arts space, and the wider town centre regeneration, and I am excited to see it serve both local communities and visitors for generations to come.”
Since 2018, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund has approved over €613 million for 271 projects across Ireland. To date, RRDF funding of over €18 million has been allocated to 10 projects located across Co. Offaly.
The new public library strategy, ‘The Library is the Place’, was launched in July 2023 and was developed by the Department of Rural and Community Development in partnership with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and local authorities. It is a 5-year plan for the period 2023-27 which sets out the strategic context for further investment in library infrastructure, technology, programmes and services.
The strategy was drafted following an extensive consultation process that included a public consultation, which resulted in 2,993 returned questionnaires, focus groups with over 300 library staff members, further focus groups with key stakeholder groups and interviews and workshops with key interested parties.