This week, Waterford City Council announced that it is to invest €20 million and create 100 new jobs developing “a major new visitor centre, manufacturing and retail outlet for Waterford Crystal”. The site, at the old ESB offices on the historic Mall, will be renovated and ready to open in time for next summer’s tourist season. The council said that the new jobs will be split “roughly equally between manufacturing and retail/tourism”.
The council is still involved in negotiations over the operation of the planned new facility with WWRD Holdings, the company that now owns the Waterford Crystal brand. However, a council spokesman said that, “while confident of the company’s commitment, in the event of the failure of negotiations, the council is determined to deliver the project in any case”. Initial funding for the scheme has already been secured from the European Regional Development Fund.
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(Source: The Irish Times)
