A Limerick hotel has drawn up plans to add 28 bedrooms, and the knock-on effects could stretch well beyond its own front door. The expansion would give the property a much larger bed base at a time when the city centre has been drawing plenty of overnight visitors. Its backers argue the scheme could also help revive vacant units nearby, a stubborn problem along Limerick's main streets. Empty commercial premises have weighed on the look and feel of the core for years, so proposals that promise to fill them tend to attract notice. More guests staying overnight generally means more custom for the cafes and shops around them. The plans will still have to pass through the planning system, where matters such as access, noise and the impact on neighbours are normally examined before any green light. Timing will matter too, given how competitive the construction market has been for labour and materials. If approval comes through, the work could mark a visible change for a stretch of the city with plenty of room for it.