Positive Developments for Tramore

The future of Tramore’s town centre has a much more positive outlook as we enter 2019 after a number of important developments during 2018. The most significant of these was the announcement last month of €1.35 million in Government funding for public realm works which will help revitalise the town centre. Works will include new hard surfacing, stone paving, upgraded lighting, new street furniture and landscaping for the areas around Main Street, the Square, Broad Street, Strand Street and Market Street. The plans also include changes to traffic circulation and the introduction of shared space areas. The hope is that this area, in the heart of Tramore, can be used for artisan markets, open air gigs and generally as an attractive meeting area in the town centre.
Whilst it will be 2020 before we see these works commence, in the meantime Waterford City & County Council have been investing €100,000 on remedial works on the Old Railway Station building after acquiring it last year from NAMA. These works will make the building structurally sound and thus enabling it to be used for possible community enterprises into the future.
Behind the Old Railway Station the site that was once occupied by Celtworld has been acquired by Aldi after they were granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanala. Whilst an Aldi might not be everyone's ideal venture for this location the reality is that without their acquisition of the site the probability was that the site would remain derelict for the considerable future. An Aldi store in this location will clean up the area and bring badly needed footfall to that end of the promenade.
In another positive signal for the future of Tramore, two hotels which we were lying idle for years changed hands during 2018. The old Tramore Hotel located at the top of Strand Street was sold at auction and Property Partners Barry Herterich negotiated the sale of the Waterfront Hotel at the bottom of Gallweys Hill to Seamus Walsh, owner of Waterford Castle Hotel. The Waterfront will open in the coming months and will have one of the best beach front terraces in the country. Whilst Mr. Walsh is prepared to invest in Tramore, unfortunately the same cannot be said of the owners of the Grand Hotel despite a Dereliction Order notice on the property.
Property Partners Barry Herterich also negotiated the sale of The Victoria House on Queen Street last year and it was great to see 'The Vic' buzzing over the Christmas period. Queen Street will also benefit from the opening of the Copper Hen restaurant, Fenor's loss is certainly Tramores gain. Finally 2018 saw the end of Tramore Chamber of Tourism and Commerce after it integrated with Waterford Chamber. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all past Board members for their contribution to Tramore Chamber. The decision to integrate with Waterford is also an indication that Tramore is upping it's game. The future looks positive for Tramore town centre.