Major plans unveiled to transform former Maryland Hotel Waterford City - We are WLR FM

Plans have been submitted to redevelop two historic buildings in Waterford city into a new townhouse-style accommodation offering.

The proposed development, named Wallace Townhouse, will transform the former Maryland Hotel on The Mall and the adjoining Sherlock House on Catherine Street.

New 28-Room City Centre Development Planned

Developers plan to create a total of 28 en-suite bedrooms across both properties.

At the Maryland Hotel site, the design includes 20 bedrooms. Crews will remove the existing third and fourth floors before constructing new upper levels with expanded floor space.

They will also add a second-floor extension and install a redesigned ground-floor façade facing The Mall, complete with a new entrance and updated windows.

Changes Proposed

At Sherlock House, the plans include eight additional bedrooms.

Developers will remove the existing timber façade on Catherine Street and replace it with a new first-floor frontage. The redesign aims to improve the building’s appearance while supporting its new use.

Conservation-Led Approach

Both buildings hold protected status, so planners must follow a conservation-led design approach.

The project will preserve key historical features inside and outside the properties. These include a painted plaster coat of arms located in the courtyard of Sherlock House. Experts have yet to determine its origin, but the plans propose restoring and repainting it.

The development will also relocate the Wallace cartouche, a stone plaque dedicated to composer William Vincent Wallace. Workers will move it from the Maryland Hotel’s front façade on The Mall to a side wall facing Catherine Street.

Design Balance

According to the submitted architectural design statement, the project will reorganise the buildings’ layouts into a more functional structure.

The design team said the development will create a cohesive townhouse environment suitable for city-centre accommodation while protecting the buildings’ architectural and cultural value.