The building of Limerick's first skyscraper, a hotel on the banks of the Shannon which will be the third-highest building in the State after Cork County Hall and Liberty Hall in Dublin, has been halted after the port authority refused to sell part of its land for development, claiming that the building would restrict access to Limerick docks.
The Millennium Hotel, an £18 million project, will tower over Steamboat Quay and provide unrestricted views of the Shannon and the city.
The 138-bedroom, 16-storey hotel is being built to a height of 51 metres.
The developer has received a foreshore licence from the Department of the Marine, allowing the building to encroach on the river, but foundation works were halted by Limerick Corporation after Shannon Estuary Ports complained that there was insufficient space around the site to construct the hotel "without causing severe disruption to traffic generally and our business in particular".
The port authority said no agreement had been reached with the developer over its property. The corporation stated that, because of the objection, "the development must be regarded as unauthorised".
Mr Michael Leydon, chairman of the port authority, said yesterday that discussions were being held with the developer to resolve the issue, which centres on the proposed building of a roundabout at the entrance to Limerick docks.
The port authority says it does not believe the creation of a roundabout "will do anything to alleviate any traffic circulation problems which may arise from the proposed development".
"We have to run an operating port. We want both to run together. There is no issue over the hotel itself", Mr Leydon said.
The hotel will be boat-like in shape, and the "bow" of the building will jut into the river.