Smyths, Argos & Halfords for Dundalk retail park...

Wertz

Nice to see all those long vacant units finally getting put to use and good to see these retailers coming to the town.
All it needs now is a half decent clothes shop and a supermarket and the place would be worth visiting more than once a month.

In related news, the ice rink is supposed to be ready in the next week or so too. Where was all this stuff when I was a kid?

petes

Wertz wrote:

In related news, the ice rink is supposed to be ready in the next week or so too. Where was all this stuff when I was a kid?

Dublin.

kluivert

They should get rid of Harvey Norman and bring in Tesco's down there, Tesco would move out of the Old Shopping Centre. The old shopping centre then can be knocked down and built into a super mutli storey shopping centre.

There is too many shopping centres in Dundalk placed all over the place.

The Marshes was the worst planned shopping centre I have ever seen, a huge vast area wasted.

kluivert

kluivert wrote:

The Marshes was the worst planned shopping centre I have ever seen, a huge vast area wasted.

I agree, the amount of space been wasted in that place is mad and it's full of nothing that wasn't already in the town.

Wertz

petes wrote:

Dublin.

haha yeah the one in Phibsboro or someplace that you'd end up in on some school trip.

Got to agree about the Marshes...lovely looking building (even if it it is fake) but full of nothing. Why wasn't it made proper two (or more) storey?
Look at the building land right in the town centre that's now gone.
Tescos moving to the retail park sounds like a good idea...HN's isn't a repeat business type of store...that's what that retail park needs, something that has shoppers in it regularly.
I thought they were planning on knocking the old SC and rebuilding?

Dundalk Daily

Yes Tesco had planned on knocking the old SC down as they own the lot now, few spanners in their works though. One is that the owner of the adjoinning petrol station wont sell to them just yet. Also they had planned to but the football pitch to the rear and the Gaels football team were to be relocated up behind the hospital and I dont think the plan dept gave the go ahead. Tesco planned on moving their store closer to the old railway line were there would be a road that would connect Tescos new store to the Marshes car park and also connected to the car park of the old Pork factory were the Gym is located. The old Pork factory is to be knocked, rebuilt and Lidil are anchor tenants there although there are a few problems there with moving the existing tenants, Jones Stores and Avenue Vets etc.

falipo

There used to be ane ice rink on the ramparts silly

jesus_thats_gre

kluivert wrote:

They should get rid of Harvey Norman and bring in Tesco's down there, Tesco would move out of the Old Shopping Centre. The old shopping centre then can be knocked down and built into a super mutli storey shopping centre.

Tesco own the whole of the old shopping centre property. They are knocking it down and intend to build a superstore on the Gaels football grounds. Assuming they can secure the purchase that is. They also plan to close the Longwalk store apparently but are reluctant to in case Dunnes Stores plans to move in.

You do also realise that the building site across the road from the retail park is a new Dunnes Stores? I presume you have not heard the plans that ASDA have to open a store behind the VW garage too?

jesus_thats_gre

Oh, forgot the Lidl as well..

Dundalk Daily

The Dunnes Stores that is being built almost opposite the retails park is a much smaller store than the norm. A Dunnes Stores Express type thing, groceries only I think.

Is there any truth in that ASDA rumour.


These retail parks are really going to kill off the traditional town centre shopping areas. We will have a similar situation to the UK and America, when you travel between several towns all will look the same with these retail parks with all the same stores, more or less.

Im surprised at Argos opening as they have stores in Newry and Drogheda.

europerson

Dundalk Daily wrote:

Is there any truth in that ASDA rumour.

The what?

Dundalk Daily

That ASDA will open a store in the retail park. Would this be their first store in the South ?

europerson

Dundalk Daily wrote:

That ASDA will open a store in the retail park. Would this be their first store in the South ?

ASDA owns stores in Northern Ireland. The company bought out the Safeway stores there. I didn't realise they had any plans to expand into the Republic. They have no stores here, at the moment.

eamoss

Are Smyths, Argos & Halfords opening in the retail park? or is it just talk?


As for the ice dome, look here!!
http://www.dundalkicedome.ie/


EDIT:
Also as for ASDA are they not ment to be taking over from Dunnes in Ard Easmuinn??

Wertz

eamoss wrote:

Are Smyths, Argos & Halfords opening in the retail park? or is it just talk?


As for the ice dome, look here!!
http://www.dundalkicedome.ie/


EDIT:
Also as for ASDA are they not ment to be taking over from Dunnes in Ard Easmuinn??

Well all three have their signs up and show evidence of shopfitting. Doubt it'll be this side of chrimbo though.

Ice rink on the ramparts? You mean for real...or just when the river froze?
I recall a roller rink at the bus station but never an ice rink

Astonishing the amount of stuff being talked about here...I'd no idea of half the stuff going on...lot of money coming in for some reason, that new hotel must be costing a pretty penny to throw up (even though they got the land for cheap).
Must be expecting to make it back and more, same with all the rest of the shops arriving...

falipo

Twill be a city we have before long,The Dundalk womens team wont look so stupid when its declared to

and wertz trust me it wasnt in my day either tho but im told of it alot

Wertz

RT&#201 wrote: »

EEA report warns over Dublin housing sprawl

24 November 2006 19:46

Dublin's infrastructure will not be able to cope if its housing sprawl continues, according to a report published today by the European Environmental Agency.

It predicts that residential housing will have more than doubled in the greater Dublin area by 2025.

The EEA says Dublin is an illustration of a European-wide problem of urban sprawl.
The report's author, Ronan U'ale, says Dublin's outward expansion is unsustainable in terms of resources, services and quality of life.

The report states that the market has been allowed to drive homebuyers further and further out of the city, and that there are few constraints on the conversion of agricultural land to low-density housing.
The report states that the ideal purchase for Irish homebuyers is a single-family house in open countryside close to an urban area.

It recommends a more compact capital, with the development of a polycentric relationship with the towns of Dundalk, Newry and Drogheda.

It predicts most future growth to the northwest, along the line of the Dublin-Belfast corridor.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1124/dublin.html


Interesting recommendation from the EU...

eamoss

eamoss wrote:

Are Smyths, Argos & Halfords opening in the retail park? or is it just talk?
EDIT:
Also as for ASDA are they not ment to be taking over from Dunnes in Ard Easmuinn??

Argos is suppose to open before Xmas, not sure about Smyths and as for Halfords god only knows whats going on there as the sign has been up for months.

As for Asda, the story there was that Dunnes in Ard Easmuinn was to shut but when they got wind that Asda was going to put a bid in for the building they decided to stay, i wonder why :rolleyes: . Asda are looking for a site close to the border in order to get cross border trade as they can't get the go ahead for a store in Newry.

jesus_thats_gre

Dundalk Daily wrote:

That ASDA will open a store in the retail park. Would this be their first store in the South ?

Yes, they plan it to be the first.

Dundalk Daily

I thought that the planning conditions attached to the retail park allowed for bulk type retailing only. Wasnt there a court case involving Elvery Sports regarding planning permisson.

indiewindy

Dundalk Daily wrote:

I thought that the planning conditions attached to the retail park allowed for bulk type retailing only. Wasnt there a court case involving Elvery Sports regarding planning permisson.

yes Elverys werent supposed to be selling footwear!!! as part of the planning permission for the retail park and this is why they had to shut for a few months. The towns chamber of commerce were looking to stop any developments that were not in the town centre. Thankfully they have now copped on

Dundalk Daily

But havent Atlantic been selling wellies since they opened, isnt this footwear

Dundalk Daily

The media centre have a video about the retail park on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4uGfUk9sMc

kluivert

Is there any word on when these shops will be opening

sudzs

Not open yet!

Was around there today and no sign of any activity. You'd imagine they'd be there for the pre xmas shopping frenzy...

Anyone know anything?

zAbbo

Argos looks like it'll be open before xmas, you'd image that would be the idea.

Dundalk Daily

Yes I was down there this morning Saturday and there was a large team working on the Argos outlet. Going by other outlets it wont take long to put the shop end of things together. Id say it prob will be open for xmas.

eamoss

Was walkin past the retail park today after playing in JJB and I took some photos of Argos

http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01004hu9.jpg
http://img61.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01005kd5.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01006vw2.jpg

Dundalk Daily

nice one eamoss, looks like they will be ready to rock shortly but i doubt before xmas.

sudzs

It's going to be mid January according to the Fas website where they are looking for people.

Wertz

Just in time for the sales!

Duff

Anyone know when/if Halfords is opening??

europerson

SaxoDuff wrote:

Anyone know when/if Halfords is opening??

Well, they were fitting it out today when I went by.

Kalashnikov_Kid

SaxoDuff wrote:

Anyone know when/if Halfords is opening??

Any further news on this? Same sign's been up for months!

kk

Bard

You could always ring their Drogheda branch and ask...

Wertz

You know on reflection it's been nearly 3 months since I posted this thread and had I known that 3 months on I'd only have been 33% correct I probably wouldn't have bothered. Argos is a great addition, to the whole town, not just the retail park and I really can't understand why Halfords and Smyths haven't gotten their fingers out and gotten set up yet. Maybe there are delays on contracts, maybe it's the wrong time of the year, maybe business in Drogheda isn't as good as they hoped.
These other two retailers would really flesh out the rest of the park and make it worth a regular visit for most shoppers.
Sorry for any misrepresentation in originally posting this thread; I was not speaking from concrete knowledge merely educated guess work, the presence of signs, the vacancy of floor space etc.

Bard

Any number of things could be delaying the arrival of these other two stores. Halfords and Smyths both opened new outlets in Drogheda fairly recently - maybe they want to give those stores a chance before opening Dundalk branches that would possibly take business away from their Drogheda ones. Possibly, they didn't see as good a return on investment in their Drogheda branches and are more cagey about opening in Dundalk - I doubt that however as Dundalk is very much a growing town, the Argos store is thriving, and the "opening soon" signs are still up.

Maybe there is, as you suggest, a delay with signing of contracts being signed with Finnabair Estates - who knows?

Toymaster objected to Smyths and Halfords is still currently under consideration by the Board.

Wertz

hellboy99 wrote:

Toymaster objected to Smyths and Halfords is still currently under consideration by the Board.

Wait...toymaster in upr clanbrassil st has objected to smyths on the inner relief road? WTF? It's 2 miles or more away.
Since when can you object to planning based on competition?
Toymaster lol...I don't think there is even one other toyshop in the whole town and hasn't been in about 10 yrs or more....and they object when one other competitor wants into the area. What a sham.

Wertz

Wertz wrote:

Wait...toymaster in upr clanbrassil st has objected to smyths on the inner relief road? WTF? It's 2 miles or more away.
Since when can you object to planning based on competition?

I know, you tell me

gernon

Toymaster have plans to move to a site on Coes Road near Franks Carpets and the shop on Clanbrassil St. is already sold to the Pop Martins who now own a substantial part of that street including Deareys and Cumiskeys old stores.

Wertz

lol how long before deareys and the rest become open plan living spaces and studio appartments for the young and upwardly mobile?

Regardless of a move by toymaster, it still beggars belief that competition can be stated as a reason to object to planning.
That's like me working on a site and some other decorator coming in at a lower price than mine and me being able to keep him off the site because I object to his lower price etc.

No doubt the owners will make a pretty penny out the sale of the clanbrassil st store to boot (not that there's anything wrong with that).
They've had the monopoly in the town for years and the seeming backing of the chamber of commerce in trying to keep out the franchises from the town as a whole...something the chmaber of commerce had previously excelled at for decades.

demon3

My wife had an interview 3 weeks ago for a manager position in Smyths. But heard nothing since...

If they're only recruiting now, it will be several months before they open.

gernon

gernon wrote:

Toymaster have plans to move to a site on Coes Road near Franks Carpets and the shop on Clanbrassil St. is already sold to the Pop Martins who now own a substantial part of that street including Deareys and Cumiskeys old stores.

I thought Toymaster were moving to the site at the side of the Longwalk Shopping centre across from Carrol Village (R.Q. O'Neill were in the building last) and as for the Pop Martins owning all three buildings they only own half of each as he has a partner in with him for all three purchase's.

demon3

demon3 wrote:

My wife had an interview 3 weeks ago for a manager position in Smyths. But heard nothing since...

If they're only recruiting now, it will be several months before they open.

There opening in June.

Highlander

hellboy99 wrote:

There opening in June.

The Dundalk staff have been training in Smyths Drogheda since last week