Plans have been unveiled for a €250 million logistics park and conference centre near one of the country's busiest motorways near Portlaoise.
Laois County Council has zoned 250 acres of land for the development of a site adjacent to the M7 motorway which will include a transport and logistics centre, motorway services, retail warehousing, hotel, conferencing and tourism facilities.
The development will include three million square feet of warehousing and parking for up to 15,000 cars. It is estimated that 2,500 - 3,500 visitors will pass through the development every day, with a combined spend of up to €30 million annually.
The plan also includes options for a theme park and the reactivation of a disused rail link to Portlaoise town centre and its promoters claim it has the "potential" to create 5,000 jobs over the next ten years.
Details of the first phase of the project were announced today, by the Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, Mr Noel Ahern .