Government confirms €70m OPW office build as construction set to start at Limerick’s Opera Square
John Sisk and Sons appointed to deliver 14-storey NZEB landmark as part of wider city centre regeneration
26 January 2026 | 📧 editor@breakingground.news
Construction is due to commence in the coming weeks on the Office of Public Works’ new 14-storey Landmark Office Building at Opera Square in Limerick city centre, following the award of the main building contract to John Sisk and Sons.
The €70 million project, funded by Government, will be the tallest building in Limerick and the wider Mid-West. It forms a central element of the Opera Square regeneration programme being delivered by Limerick Twenty Thirty (LTT) and is intended to act as a major anchor for public sector employment in the city core.
Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD, confirmed the contract award and start timeline on Monday. The OPW has appointed Limerick Twenty Thirty to deliver the project on its behalf, marking the first time this delivery model has been used by the State body. LTT recently completed the site-wide basement works and the One Opera Square building in partnership with the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.
The 14-storey office block, overlooking the Abbey River at Bank Place, will provide approximately 100,000 sq ft of office accommodation. It will house the Revenue Commissioners along with other Government departments, consolidating up to 1,500 civil servants, with around 950 staff on site at any one time under a hybrid working model. The development is designed to reduce the number of buildings within the OPW’s existing property portfolio while retaining a significant public sector presence in the city centre.
Construction is expected to take 30 months, followed by a fit-out phase. Up to 300 workers will be employed during the build. The project will be delivered to Nearly Zero Energy Building standard, with very low energy demand met entirely through renewable sources, supporting national climate, energy efficiency and emissions targets.
The scheme is positioned as a key catalyst within the wider Limerick Twenty Thirty programme, which aims to transform the economic, physical and social fabric of the city through strategic development of publicly owned land. LTT is a wholly owned company of Limerick City and County Council and acts as developer for the shell and core works, including structure, façade, roof and primary building services.
Speaking at the announcement, Minister Moran said the project demonstrated continued Government commitment to balanced regional development and to modernising the State’s office portfolio through high-quality, digitally enabled and sustainable workplaces.
Mayor of Limerick John Moran said the commencement of the Opera Square office development signalled real momentum for the city, describing it as a clear vote of confidence in Limerick’s role as a regional centre. He noted its alignment with other live regeneration and infrastructure initiatives, including flood relief works, public realm projects and the repurposing of derelict buildings.
Chair of Limerick Twenty Thirty, James Collins, said advancing the 14-storey building confirmed both the city’s ambition to create a world-class urban core and LTT’s capacity to deliver complex, large-scale development on behalf of the State.
The project follows a series of Government decisions dating back to 2014, when the relocation of the Revenue Commissioners to Opera Square was agreed in principle. Cabinet reaffirmed support for the development in April 2025, clearing the way for the current construction phase to proceed.
