Construction will start in the next fortnight on four 'Smart Work' locations in West Waterford.
It's hoped these office spaces will encourage people to live and work in the Blackwater Valley Economic Development Zone.
Capital funding of €3m has been secured for the project which involves the villages of Cappoquin, Lismore, Tallow, and Villierstown.
The idea was developed by the Irish Local Development Network (ILDN) member Waterford Leader Partnership (WLP) in conjunction with Waterford City & County Councils and Tomar Trust.
Plans for offices in Villierstown
Micheál Cosgrove Chair of Waterford LEADER Partnership explains when they hope to have the project completed.
"I would hope mid-summer 2021 so next year and the four phases of construction are starting this week up until the end of the month.
"They will all be in operation by the end of November so we would hope to have some of the buildings ready."
"We're now engaging with potential tenants for our office blocks and the sooner we can get those on board we can customise it to what they need"
Waterford LEADER Partnership CEO Jimmy Taaffe said; “This capital infrastructure project will develop much needed Smart Working locations in the four West Waterford villages. In total 80 office spaces will be developed.
"With a total capital spend of approximately €3m it is envisaged that the project will create 40 construction jobs during the duration of the development and the completed project will create 90+ full-time jobs in the area with an estimated economic salary value of €4m per annum.
"The project has the capacity to attract an estimated 80 new residents to the Blackwater Valley.”
Cappoquin is one of four areas in West Waterford that will open a Smart Work location in the coming months. A derelict building in the town has already undergone some refurbishment, and further construction is about to get underway.
Cappoquin's Smart Work location
Denis McCarthy, Director of Cappoquin Regeneration Company says the Blackwater Economic Development Zone will be transformative for the town.
"Now that we have the money to refurbish the building, it will be the first to be undertaken in the town and construction is due to begin so we're quite excited about that.
"Earlier this year Waterford City and County Council made an application under the rural regional development fund and were successful in gaining €1.6m for Cappoquin alone.
"It seems like a lot of money but when you have a significant amount of derelict buildings in the town it won't take long to use it up. The proposal is that these buildings would be bought, designed and their planning permission permits would be secured."
Just a stone's throw away from where the building in Cappoquin is to be developed is Barron's Bakery and Coffee House run by Emma O'Keeffe & Aoife Hallahan.
Emma says having the offices so close to their premises is extremely positive.
"We are a coffee shop and we do takeaway so if people didn't want to bring their lunch and wanted to get a takeaway coffee and go back to the desk we're right around the corner. I think it will be great for the town and for ourselves.
"We need this injection in Cappoquin to bring it on, to bring on more business and bring more footfall into the town and I do think it will. If there are opportunities for people to have office space even for a couple of months it will breathe a lot of new life into the town."
To hear the full report from West Waterford you can listen back below:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/wlrfm/smart-work-locations-west-waterford
