Empty Shop Units

tuxedo

Hi Guys,

Limerick City is starting to turn into a bit of a ghost town at the moment... Every street you walk down the are numerous For Sale/To Let signs on buildings... I suppose in a way now would be a good time for people to take a crack at opening a business with rent gone down and numerous suppliers finding it tough...

I was considering this even tho the city has gone quite, has anybody out there got any ideas on what kind of shop they would like to see in Limerick City?? Is there something missing in the city, that we all could benifit from??

Thanks

bazz26

Its not just Limerick that has empty shop units, the recession goes beyond Limerick and Ireland for that matter too. Everyone is suffering.

Kess73

It is a bit more pronounced in Limerick city centre than some of the other main cities in Ireland. Take Patrick Street /Rutland street as an example of over twenty units in a row that are empty, or take the run on Sarsfield Street where Top Shop etc used to be.


Limerick is being hit quite hard, something that is confirmed by the fact that Limerick is the county/city with the highest % of unemployment in Ireland and is well above national average,

chalkitdown

Kess73 wrote: »

It is a bit more pronounced in Limerick city centre than some of the other main cities in Ireland. Take Patrick Street /Rutland street as an example of over twenty units in a row that are empty, or take the run on Sarsfield Street where Top Shop etc used to be.


Limerick is being hit quite hard, something that is confirmed by the fact that Limerick is the county/city with the highest % of unemployment in Ireland and is well above national average,

The premises on Patrick are closed because of the stalled Opera centre development.

bazz26

Kess73 wrote: »

It is a bit more pronounced in Limerick city centre than some of the other main cities in Ireland. Take Patrick Street /Rutland street as an example of over twenty units in a row that are empty, or take the run on Sarsfield Street where Top Shop etc used to be.

But those buildings were vacated because of a compulsory purchase order put on them for what looks like the doomed Opera Centre development.

Kess73

chalkitdown wrote: »

The premises on Patrick are closed because of the stalled Opera centre development.

bazz26 wrote: »

But those buildings were vacated because of a compulsory purchase order put on them for what looks like the doomed Opera Centre development.

True they were originally vacated because of a compulsary purchase order, but were put back up for let with no takers, and those on Sarsfield Street are vacant for quite some time also, despite the fact they come with the first 18 months rent free.

There is lots of talk about the new opera house, the knocking and rebuilding of Arthur's quay, the pedestrianising of William street and O'Connell street, not to mention things like the stalled shopping centre on the Dublin road and many others.

The thing is that Limerick has unemployment growing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country, and there are less jobs and less money to go round, so more and more units are popping up vacant as well as new units being built and sitting vacant from day one also.

tuxedo

With all the bad times happening around limerick, we should be promoting new business ideas!! It can be a great time for people wiling to take the risk!!

4tothefloor

bazz26 wrote: »

Its not just Limerick that has empty shop units, the recession goes beyond Limerick and Ireland for that matter too. Everyone is suffering.

It's not just the city. Two more shops closing in the Crescent Shopping Centre in the next two weeks - Galvia Designs and Sally West. There's another 4 retailers in trouble, 2 of which are big names in the new part of the centre. That makes 7 units now vacent there - Mango Unit, Sally West Unit, Dynasty Unit, Sasha Unit, Galvia Designs Unit, JR Fashions Unit, Chinese Medicine Unit. First Active Unit will also be empty soon as it's merging with Ulster Bank. That's not to mention the amount that have indicated they will close unless the colossel Crescent rents are reduced.......interesting times ahead

Berty

4tothefloor wrote: »

It's not just the city. Two more shops closing in the Crescent Shopping Centre in the next two weeks - Galvia Designs and Sally West. There's another 4 retailers in trouble, 2 of which are big names in the new part of the centre. That makes 7 units now vacent there - Mango Unit, Sally West Unit, Dynasty Unit, Sasha Unit, Galvia Designs Unit, JR Fashions Unit, Chinese Medicine Unit. First Active Unit will also be empty soon as it's merging with Ulster Bank. That's not to mention the amount that have indicated they will close unless the colossel Crescent rents are reduced.......interesting times ahead

A-wear is closed but really only relocated to take up another empty store.

Barratts is closing soon.

Builderfromhell

Landlords have to reduce rents.
It costs too much to keep an existing business going.
The rents beings asked must disuade loads of peotential businesses from starting up.
Some commercial property has been 'To let' for years and nobody takes them. Landlords just won't drop rent.

Poxyshamrock

Berty wrote: »

Barratts is closing soon.

Speaking of Barratts closing.

For the first time in my life, I've seen an empty shop on Cruises St.
They were always snapped up straight away.

Berty

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Speaking of Barratts closing.

For the first time in my life, I've seen an empty shop on Cruises St.
They were always snapped up straight away.

I was the person who physically locked the door on cruises st. Somebody from a shop in Williams St Mall was eyeballing the shop the days we were stripping out the guts of the shop.

Fear not it wont be the only abandoned shop on cruises street soon.*




*opinion rather than fact

AnCapaillMor

Just take a look at coonagh cross and across from jetland. Developers went a bit mad with shopping units, a bit like the hotels. There's no way limk needed that amount of hotels or shopping units, even when times were good.

steveon

Well we are getting another new hotel as Travel lodge are opening up in the vacant building next to ALDI near the Groody roundabout as far as I know

Mc Love

not a bad spot for a TL!

Berty

sparkysrovers wrote: »

not a bad spot for a TL!

1st four floors of the building only. I bet they got the rent for half nothing.

4tothefloor

Berty wrote: »

Barratts is closing soon.

Is that fact or opinion? I heard Barratts are keeping the most profitable stores in operation, Crescent SC is one of those. They recently took delivery of 500 cartons of shoes and the shop was almost disabled for three days cos of it (presumably stock from other closed stores). Not the sign of a shop about to close!

I also know that Zara and Vero Moda are both looking to cut their opening hours in the Crescent. Crescent management are dead against it but I can't see what they can do in the current clomate to prevent it. Contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on when it comes to cost cutting and surviving.

Tech3

Looking at that the Crescent, another block would be vacant only for HMV taking the Zavvi slot. There does seem to be a lot of vacant blocks appearing around the shopping centre alright.

Roadend

Early Learning Centre due to close soon

Aidric

The post are gone big on the ol vacant units story this week. More importantly they are highlighting the fact that owners of some buildings in the city are letting their properties run into disrepair.

Birdie086

City ccentre has been dying quietly for more than a few years now. Focus was pushed out of town to shopping centres. Ridiculus rates forced on shopowners, no decent parking, even the Market was ruined. Its only now people are seeing was been nder our noses all along. Worked in the city centre for 12 years and have watched this gradual and heartbreaking change.

Poxyshamrock

Vodafone on Cruises St is gone now and so is Juice Zone on O'Connell St.

seachto7

It's depressing walking around the city centre...

goingpostal

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Vodafone on Cruises St is gone now and so is Juice Zone on O'Connell St.

The Nokia Service Centre on Catherine St was closed last saturday at 3pm. Must be gone too. They are doing some work on what was Lorrettas Sandwich Bar on the corner of Roches and Catherine. It might be re-opening as something else. That place was a big loss. She did a great sandwich.