Fire at former RTC building on Northgate Street

Emergency services were called to the scene of a small fire in the grounds of the former Athlone Regional Technical College campus on Northgate Street in the town this morning.

Gardai and a fire tender from Kilbeggan attended the scene shortly before 11am. The fire broke out in a single story building at the rear of the premises, facing the Abbey Road Arts Studio.

The fire was quickly brought under control, not before causing damage to the single-story building.

The overall building has fallen into disrepair in recent years.

A feasibility study and plans were drawn up in recent years to repurpose what was known as the Old Tech building into a co-working enterprise hub, but there has been no significant progress on the plans.

There have also been numerous reports of anti-social behaviour and night-time activity in the premises.