Investment Backing For Camden Fort Meagher Writes Jack White
Further investment in Crosshaven’s Camden Fort Meagher by Cork County Council has seen JCA Architects Cork appointed to prepare a Masterplan for the Future Use, Conservation and Restoration of the fort as the council aims to make it one of Cork’s premier tourist attractions.
Sitting on a beautiful 45-acre site, Camden Fort Meagher commands extensive harbor views and comprises a sizeable number of buildings and a vast underground infrastructure in various states of disrepair. This presents considerable challenges, not least financial, in realising a sustainable long term future for the site.
Cork County Council plans to create an attractive, sustainable and viable addition to the tourism and cultural infrastructure in Crosshaven and the Lower Harbour and planners believe this masterplan will be the first step in achieving this goal. Speaking at the contract signing, former Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Séamus McGrath welcomed the latest development of Camden Fort Meagher, “I am delighted to be here to sign this contract for the delivery of a Masterplan which will identify how best to secure the future operational development of Camden Fort Meagher. This Masterplan will build on the wonderful work already completed by Cork County Council, the Volunteers and the wider Crosshaven community”.
Camden Fort Meagher is now open to visitors, with exhibits on the fort’s Brennan torpedo installation (the world’s first “practical guided weapon”) and one of the only resident 9/11 exhibits outside the United States.
The Masterplan will: • Provide a framework Plan for determining the appropriate future use of the Fort while also prioritising redevelopment works. • Identify the potential of how best to develop Camden Fort Meagher as an all year round sustainable business and tourism operation. • Articulate a vision for the sustainable development of the Fort which would contribute to unlocking Cork Harbour’s potential as the maritime gateway to Europe and the Atlantic. • Articulate a vision for a successful integration of Camden Fort Meagher Tourism Potential in to the greater Cork Harbour Tourism and heritage offering associated with the defence of Cork Harbour. • Recommend a management structure that will allow for appropriate management of the Fort, its buildings and artefacts and its potential future uses. • Achieve successful integration between land uses at the Fort and land uses on the associated lands at Crosshaven, Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy, Haulbowline, Spike Island, Cobh and surrounding Harbour Area. • Achieve co-ordination between existing and future land uses, including the development of Camden Fort Meagher as a workplace, a tourist destination, a community facility, a heritage centre, arts & cultural centre and a place to do business such as conferences and meetings etc. • Take an innovative approach to the adaptation of the architectural/archaeological integrity of Camden Fort Meagher’s buildings and infrastructure, including the piers. • Create a movement strategy to show ease of movement and good connectivity for pedestrians between buildings and create pedestrian centred spaces and movement routes, both within Camden Fort Meagher and between the Fort itself and Crosshaven and the wider harbour areas including Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy Haulbowline, Spike Island, Cobh and Cork City.
For more information visit www.camdenfortmeagher.ie
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