The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD recently announced Clara Town Team’s success, in partnership with Offaly Conty Council, in its application to acquire a vacant and derelict town center building in Clara through the Building Acquisition Measure under the 2023 Town & Village Renewal Scheme.
The Co-Op is a very significant building in terms of its place in Clara’s history, its prominent access to the Brosna River and its Town Centre location. The Town Team can now further apply for Town and Village grants to assist with design fees and future capital costs to refurbish the building into a multipurpose community space.
Offaly County Council Chief Executive, Anna Marie Delaney welcomed the announcement saying “This initiative is all about giving our local communities the tools to address the challenges of vacancy and dereliction in their towns and villages and in doing so, we will help to drive footfall into our town centres and make them even better places to live, work and invest in. I would like to congratulate the Town Team on this success and their diligent work to date.”
Speaking after the announcement, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr. Eddie Fitzpatrick said, “bringing such a prominent building back into use is excellent news for the town of Clara and will visually enhance the streetscape as well as meeting the needs of the community.”
Learn more about Clara’s Town Centre First Plan