DEVELOPERS have signalled their intention to seek permission to open a medical centre in a Limerick building out of use for almost 20 years.

Thanos Securities lodged an application with Limerick City and County Council to open a medical centre on land once home to Desmond Arms and Nightclub.

According to documents lodged with council planners, the medical facility will be built on the first three floors at the building which stretches from Catherine Street to its junction with Mallow Street in the city centre.

The area, which also contained the former Limerick Leader printing press, has been out of use since the early 2000s.

In November 2020, Thanos Securities received planning permission to develop a six-storey residential and office complex.

Almost three years on, the same company is seeking permission to change the use of the previously granted offices on the first three floors. Apartments would be maintained at the upper levels.

In supporting documentation, agents for the developer said this change is sought in response to the rise of remote working.

“This sudden shift resulted in a reduced demand for physical office space as organisations explored alternative working models, such as remote work or hybrid setups,” agents wrote.

“The development of the space for healthcare purposes appeals to a wider range of potential occupants and the nature of the healthcare sector is that their property needs are often fixed. Staff are unaffected by preference for home or flexible working options given the need for face-to-face presence,” they added.

The developer’s agents did add, however, that if market conditions did change again, the original planning permission of offices and residential space may be “implemented in full.”

As it stands, council planners have deemed the new application incomplete.

It is up to the developer now to lodge a fresh application providing the extra information council seeks. It appears this will happen with a fresh planning notice in today's Limerick Leader.