The Government has revealed $113m (€100m) in funding for 88 projects as part of the Project Ireland 2040 program.
It will help to rejuvenate underused areas in Ireland’s five cities and other large towns.
Under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), launched in July this year, a total of two and a quarter billion dollars has been allocated up to 2027, with $620m (€550m) available between now and 2022.
It is one of four funds set up under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and is being implemented by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
Almost 200 applications were submitted to the department after it launched its call in July.
Some of the applications included transforming the former school in Rutland Street in Dublin as a community hub; support for large scale strategic sites on both sides of the river in the Cork Docklands Regeneration areas; regeneration for O’Connell Street and projects in the city center of Limerick, and public realm and riverside enhancement for the Abbey Quarter in Kilkenny.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy made the announcement in the Charleville Mall Library in Dublin on Monday.
The Taoiseach said: “The Urban Fund is aimed at all of our cities and towns with a population of more than 10,000.
“It’s an investment of €2bn over the next 10 years aimed at unlocking the potential undeveloped sites in our towns and cities.
“We want them to have vibrant centers and to grow up rather than out. We want smart, compact, urban growth.
“We want to make sure we have more people living in our city centers and close to the center of large towns, making it easier to walk to work, cutting commuting times and distances, making better use of existing infrastructure while also benefiting the environment.
“The scale of funding available under this fund means the successful projects will have a tangible and positive impact on the daily lives of people living in our large towns and cities. We have never planned our towns and cities in this way before.”
I am hugely impressed by the enthusiasm and creativity demonstrated by all those involved throughout this process
Mr Murphy said: “I am hugely impressed by the enthusiasm and creativity demonstrated by all those involved throughout this process and am delighted to allocate €100m in funding for 2019 to some very worthwhile projects.
“We will of course continue to work with those that wish to develop projects into the future and will enable a continual dialogue on this to ensure a pro-active delivery of sustainable projects.”
Minister for Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan said: “A total of nine projects that will receive funding have a cultural element to them, including an exciting new cultural plaza in Sligo, an innovative cultural quarter in Portlaoise and even a Living Georgian City Program in Limerick.
“This is in keeping with this Government’s strong understanding of and support for culture. It is also recognition of the centrality of culture to development and regeneration.”