Redevelopment of former Waterford Crystal Offices & Showrooms to commence

Works on the former Waterford Crystal offices and showrooms on the Cork Road in Waterford City are to commence imminently.

The site, which has sat idle since the closure of Waterford Crystal in 2010 will be transformed into 100,000 square feet of Grade A NZEB interchangeable office space.

SETU purchased 20.3 acres of the 37-acre Waterford Crystal site, the entirety of what was offered to SETU.

In October 2022, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform gave permission for talks between SETU and Noel Frisby Construction Limited to enter final negotiations for the site.

The purchase satisfies several wider local and regional objectives through the reusing/repurposing of a prominent brownfield site in the city.

The investment will allow SETU to cater to future student growth, address the current shortfall in space requirements, and allow the TU to be a driver of economic and social development in Waterford.

Among those to welcome the commencement of works is local Fine Gael Senator John Cummins.

“The news that construction is commencing on this site in the coming weeks will be welcomed by the entire Waterford community. This building was once the symbol of Waterford; however, it has been vacant and derelict for far too long. The reality is the acquisition of 20 acres of the site by the government for use by SETU has brought certainty to the future of the wider site and has given Frisby Construction the confidence and resources to drive on with the redevelopment of this iconic building which will be given a new lease of life”.

“This project received planning permission in 2019 and will consist of 5 floors of flexible Grade A office accommodation which can be geared towards one or multiple companies. This is the first of many buildings that will be developed on this site which will be home to the ‘University Enterprise and Innovation Quarter’. The idea of 17 acres of this 37-acre site remaining in private ownership is that complementary building solutions can be delivered outside of the public procurement process. This will enable a cluster of enterprises to develop which have strong links with our new university”.

For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.