THRIVE (Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme) Online Survey

A successful public consultation evening was held in relation to the THRIVE – Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme in ANAM Cultural Centre, Killarney on Tuesday 4th February and The Rose Hotel, Tralee on Wednesday 5^th February. Under Strand 1 of the Scheme, Integrated Urban Strategies will be developed in both towns that will identify proposals for the adaptive reuse of publicly owned heritage buildings in the towns.

The Killarney and Tralee THRIVE projects are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.

The public engagement events are allowing everyone to help shape the Integrated Urban Strategies. A broad spectrum of stakeholders as well as members of the general public engaged in interesting debates and discussion. All comments, suggestions and opinions will be considered by Kerry County Council and the Consultants.

If anyone would like to put forward their ideas, please send your thoughts to [email protected] or Town Regeneration Unit, Ashe Hall, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Kerry County Council is also running a short survey until 15^th March to facilitate further community engagement on this project  – THRIVE Survey

Figure 1 Niamh O’Sullivan, Director of Economic and Community Development; Cllr Terry O’Brien, Leas-Cathaoirleach Tralee MD; Jean Foley, Town Regeneration Officer, Cllr Martin Grady, Leas-Cathaoirleach Killarney MD

Kerry County Council is proud to announce its participation in the new THRIVE – Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, an initiative co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.

The THRIVE programme focuses on revitalising urban centres by repurposing heritage buildings, contributing to both community renewal and heritage conservation. Under Strand 1 of the Scheme, Kerry County Council has been awarded €197,094 for each of the towns of Tralee and Killarney. This funding will be used to develop Integrated Urban Strategies and create investment-ready proposals for the adaptive reuse of a publicly owned heritage building in each town.

A2 Architects Ltd. has been appointed by Kerry County Council to deliver this project, including the development of the strategies and exploring innovative opportunities to adaptively reuse key heritage buildings in each town.

Speaking about the initiative, Jean Foley, Town Regeneration Officer said “The THRIVE programme is a fantastic opportunity to breathe new life into the heart of our towns while preserving and celebrating our rich architectural heritage. We strongly encourage everyone in the community to get involved, share their ideas, and help shape a vision that reflects the unique character and potential of Tralee and Killarney.”

As part of the project, public input is vital, and Kerry County Council is inviting the public to share their ideas and contribute to shaping these strategies. This is an exciting opportunity to influence the future of local heritage while tackling vacancy and dereliction in town centres.

Interactive drop-in workshops will be held in both Killarney and Tralee to present details of the project and gather feedback.

Killarney: ANAM, Killarney’s Art and Cultural Centre, East Avenue, on Tuesday, February 4th, 6–8pm.

Tralee: The Rose Hotel, Dan Spring Road, on Wednesday, February 5th, 6–8pm.

Each workshop will include brief presentations at 6pm and 7pm to outline the project and discuss the heritage buildings in each town. Everyone is welcome to drop-in and share their ideas and speak to those involved with the projects.

For further details, please contact [email protected].

This initiative is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern, and Midland Regional Programme 2021–2027.

Visit the Southern Regional Assembly website at http://www.southernassembly.ie/