[Article] €200m Shopping Centre Revamp Gets Green Light

KevR

http://www.galwaynews.ie/11632-%E2%82%AC200m-shopping-centre-revamp-gets-green-light

Galway City Tribune wrote:

€200m shopping centre revamp gets green light

March 5, 2010 - 7:45am
Project finally approved after five years in planning
BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

An Bórd Pleanála has given the final go-ahead for the €200 million redevelopment of the Galway Shopping Centre on the Headford Road, which will quadruple the size of the centre and see the creation of 1,000 jobs.

It will see British retailing giants Marks & Spencer and Debenhams join Tesco and Penneys in a new ‘Liffey Valley’ type development in a series of blocks.

And it could see the removal of the Headford Road ‘magic roundabout’ to make way for a new ‘super-junction’, which it is claimed will lead to a 15% improvement in traffic flow – these arrangements must now be finalised with city officials.

The development will also see the creation of around 90 smaller retail units, a municipal art gallery, more than 200 residential units, cafés, restaurants and a leisure centre. It will take around five years to build in four separate phases and will have parking for almost 2,000 cars.

The decision has been welcomed by City Manager Joe MacGrath, who said it will be a major boost for the city economically and aesthetically.
“From the city’s point of view, this is a very welcome decision, both economically and for the future of retail development in the city,” Mr MacGrath told the Galway City Tribune.

He added that it would make the Headford Road “very much part of the city centre” and an area where the Council would like to see new retail space created.

City councillors backed the plans two years ago on the recommendation of Council officials, but it was subsequently appealed to An Bórd Pleanála.
Lindat Ltd – part of the Dublin-based Harcourt Developments group which owns the centre – first unveiled its plans for the centre in 2004, but the application has been dogged by planning delays due to its complexity for more than five years.

This week, An Bórd Pleanála granted final approval for the development, attaching a total of 31 planning conditions.

Good news! 1,000 jobs, upgrade of the Galway SC roundabout and a facelift for the area.

I will say this now though - don't expect huge miracles from the Galway SC roundabout upgrade. One of the main problems for the SC junction is that traffic backs up from the Menlo Park roundabout and also backs up the whole way across the Quincentennial Bridge sometimes onto the SC roundabout. For the SC roundabout upgrade to make a really big difference, the Menlo Park roundabout would have to be upgraded also (I'd love if it did get done too but can't see it happening anytime soon).
I can already see people complaining that "money was wasted on the Galway SC roundabout upgrade, it has made no difference, reinstate the roundabout" when in fact the Galway SC junction will be better, adjacent junctions will be the problem.

_Whimsical_

Hasn't this revamp of the Galway Shopping Centre been on the cards for eons now?It's definitely longer than 5 years.I'd be amazed if M&S and Debenhams would open more stores in Galway in this climate.

Will be great news if it does finally come to pass though.

galah

I'd say parking was always an issue for some of the stores - I love shopping in M&S etc - but I am not willing to drive into town after work, find a parking spot, pay myself stupid in exorbitant parking rates just for some nice cheese...

Would be interesting to see how they'll redevelop that roundabout of doom - and you're right, it's not necessarily the roundabout that 's the issue, it;'s the roads filtering into it...(still glad to see it changed, at the moment, it's a nightmare mainly thanks to people not knowing how to use it correctly...)

Xiney

Does Galway really need more retail units at the moment? There's plenty of empty ones already.

A bigger M&S though.... nice! (the one in Athlone is beautiful)

Some bigger retail units within walking distance of the centre of town would be handy.

I remember the GSC back when the internal walkways (ie in front of Pennys or Tescos) was open to the elements.

fifib

Before M&S came to Corrib Shopping Center they were looking at opening in the GS center. There were rumours then after opening in Corrib that when GSC expanded they would move out there...this was years ago!
I think they only saw the Corrib shopping centre as a short term location as there was no room for expansion so maybe they will finally be able to move out there to a bigger premises!

brianthebard

Oh good more residential properties...

KevR

galah wrote: »

Would be interesting to see how they'll redevelop that roundabout of doom - and you're right, it's not necessarily the roundabout that 's the issue, it;'s the roads filtering into it...(still glad to see it changed, at the moment, it's a nightmare mainly thanks to people not knowing how to use it correctly...)

As far as I know, the roundabout will be removed. The entrance/exit to the Galway SC from the junction will be permanently closed - that means there will only be 4 access points onto the roundabout, instead of the current 5. A new LILO junction for the SC will be created on the Sean Mulvoy Road and the existing entrance/exit on the Headford Road will be retained (maybe with some improvements, I'm not sure).

The most noticeable improvement will be for the Headford Road coming out from Woodquay direction. Currently this road does not have lights for getting onto the roundabout; it will be signal controlled on the new junction.

Galway Independent in 2008 wrote:

Significant changes are to be made to the road network in the area, with the closure of the existing access to the shopping centre from the Bodkin Roundabout and the creation of a new left-in/left-out access on Sean Mulvoy road.

The Bodkin Roundabout is also to be replaced with a signal controlled junction, while access from the Headford Road is also to be upgraded. Bus priority measures are also to be introduced along the Headford Road and Bodkin junction.

citycentre

Both Debenhams and Marks and Spencer have viewed their Corrib Centre premises as being temporary pending the completion of flagship units in the redeveloped Galway Shopping Centre. I'm not sure if this situation has changed for either, however it'd be interesting to see what would become of the Corrib Centre if both anchor tenants moved... Lots of space freed up for other large shops, however bothe the new Galway Shopping Centre and the Caennt Station Quarter will probably soak up most of the big names...

Sconsey

Will be really interesting to see how they plan to redesign that junction, I can't think of any viable solution considering the volumes of traffic and tailbacks that arise from cars waiting to get into the car parks.

Edit: Argh! KevR answered it while wrote, Thanks.

skelliser

great idea, build a new shopping centre whilst unfinished ones remain unfinished! re: crown plaza

No doubt there will be apartments there as well, i wonder sometimes have we learnt anything from this resession. Evidently not when you consider we bailed out the banks and SCAMA with no conseqeunces for any banker or property developer.
Business as usual!

johngalway

I don't mind what they build, as long as I see the back of that stinking SC roundabout!

LadyMayBelle

Hurrah! Hate that roundabout, I still can't figure out how to get into Tesco's (Kate's bar entrance) from coming across the bridge...

More shops would be great tho, have they really got that much space though on that plot to make it 4 times bigger?

Most of it is only one story now - the plan is to build up.

The former atlantic homecare space was supposed to be joined to make a big Tesco.

http://www.harcourtdevelopments.com/
Harcourt have some graphics on their site: see Retail -> Galway -> Galway SC

KevR

brianthebard wrote: »

Oh good more residential properties...

skelliser wrote: »

great idea, build a new shopping centre whilst unfinished ones remain unfinished! re: crown plaza

No doubt there will be apartments there as well, i wonder sometimes have we learnt anything from this resession. Evidently not when you consider we bailed out the banks and SCAMA with no conseqeunces for any banker or property developer.
Business as usual!

It's hard to say. At least there is employment being created in Galway City Centre along with the apartments in town. Back in the boom days there would be big estates going up on the edges of the city (where there is no facilities, jobs or public transport) and loads of one-off houses going up 20+ miles outside the city in County Galway.

I think it's good that the Shopping Centre redevelopment and Ceannt Quarter will increase the population density (through more high rise buildings) in the City Centre where there are facilities, jobs and public transport to the industrial estates on the East Side. It's far more sustainable than what was happening.

I'm sure people who currently own a home might disagree but the more resendtial properties in Galway City Centre and the inner suburbs the better in my opinion because it will keep prices at a much more reasonable level. This will encourage people to live in the city near where they work. During the boom people couldn't afford to live in the city and as a result the countryside in County Galway got destroyed with one-off houses.

There are 345,000 empty properties (170,000 if you don't include holiday homes) in Ireland at the moment. It's safe to say the vast majority of these are ghost estates in counties which never had the population or employment levels to fill those properties. The like of Central Dublin, Galway, Cork and Limerick will never have huge levels of empty properties.

johngalway

LadyPennyworth wrote: »

Hurrah! Hate that roundabout, I still can't figure out how to get into Tesco's (Kate's bar entrance) from coming across the bridge...

Honest to God neither can I, and I have to come in that way! I think you need to be in the middle lane approaching the lights, then switch lanes after the Headford road exit outbound (towards Dunnes), so you're on the outside lane approaching the Sean Mulvoy Road exit, then exit the roundabout into GSC.

Just don't quote me to the traffic cops on that cos I'm in no way sure that's the proper way to do it!

citycentre

skelliser wrote: »

great idea, build a new shopping centre whilst unfinished ones remain unfinished! re: crown plaza

No doubt there will be apartments there as well, i wonder sometimes have we learnt anything from this resession. Evidently not when you consider we bailed out the banks and SCAMA with no conseqeunces for any banker or property developer.
Business as usual!

The Headford Road is perfectly located for further retail development as it's basically an extension of the City Centre, easily walkable from Eyre Square and the existing retail core. If we had the outer bypass the issues with traffic would be greatly eased making Galway Shopping Centre fairly exemplary in terms of location, complimenting and not competing with the City Centre. The design of the new centre takes this into account creating a street frontage to the Headford Road and new external streets and laneways as part of the scheme as well as the large "Dundrum style" internal multi-storey mall.

Coupled with the eventual redevelopment of the Retail parks across the road this part of the city could potentially become a vibrant, modern city quarter as opposed to the ugly wasteland of surface carparking and tin boxes we have now.

This is why the redevelopment of Galway Shopping Centre remains a viable and welcome proposition even in the current times, whilst it'll be a long time before poorly located glorified retail parks like Crown Plaza will ever be completed and filled.

swe_fi

One one hand it is good if the roundabout disappears (logistically) but on the other hand it is sort of a landmark. I think people will miss it when it is gone.

Can I ask what is the appeal with Marks & Spencers / Debenhams? I just find them so plain.

And 1000 "new" jobs - hardly. It will drive people away from city centre leading to job losses there. Not that I would mind a bit fewer people/cars in town on saturdays but at the same time from my experience (similar size city) when you start decentralizing the shopping areas it takes the heartbeat away from the city centre. It is more convenient no doubt, but you lose the soul. I would like to see something innovative that is linked to the town centre via walkways / cycle path and maybe all the way down to the harbour /west.

Edit: Just read BTHs post and seems all this is covered, I did not read properly or look at the plans. Thanks BTH for doing that for me.

?Cee?view

Unfortunately this area, and the reconfigured junctions, will never acheive their potential until traffic volumes are diverted away from the centre by building the bypass.

Hopefully, this development will provide further impetus to get the bypass built.

jkforde

Anyone know what types and scale of urban and civic landscaping is planned? Don't give a toss about more bloody retail space but the place is a soulless eyesore.....they couldn't approve something that makes the ugly s!!tehole aesthetically worse.... could they?

Chris_5339762

€200 million would build most if not all of the bypass, and would provide far more benefits to the city than a pile of teenage clothes shops.

?Cee?view

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

€200 million would build most if not all of the bypass, and would provide far more benefits to the city than a pile of teenage clothes shops.

I agree with you, but those who are putting the €200 million into the development will expect a return. That the development faces traffic gridlock in the absence of a bypass, will hopefully help them to provide "encouragement" to get the bypass built.

snubbleste

I remember back in 2004/05, people who owned rentals in that area of town were objecting to this development because it would bring all this new accommodation into the area and bring down the value of their investment property and that they were struggling to pay their mortgages as it was..

Has anyone experienced Operation Roundabout? Apparently the Garda have started this campaign to try and inform motorists how to use roundabouts correctly. They stop the motorist after they have gone through the roundabout and tell them how to approach and exit properly

KevR

johngalway wrote: »

Honest to God neither can I, and I have to come in that way! I think you need to be in the middle lane approaching the lights, then switch lanes after the Headford road exit outbound (towards Dunnes), so you're on the outside lane approaching the Sean Mulvoy Road exit, then exit the roundabout into GSC.

Just don't quote me to the traffic cops on that cos I'm in no way sure that's the proper way to do it!

The proper way is to use the right-hand lane. Hold your lane as you pass the Headford Road outbound exit, keep holding it as you pass the Sean Mulvoy exit. After you have passed the Sean Mulvoy exit you can move over into the left lane to go into the Galway Shopping Centre. There are 2 lanes just before the Sean Mulvoy exit - the left lane has to exit for the Sean Mulvoy, the right lane has the option of exiting for the Sean Mulvoy or continuing past that exit (where there a 3rd lane appears). If you are in the right lane going past the Sean Mulvoy you will be clear to move over into the left lane for the SC as the people to your left will have exited at Sean Mulvoy.

Or you can move into the middle lane after you pass the Sean Mulvoy to get onto the Headford Road inbound.

Or you can stay in the right-hand lane after the Sean Mulvoy to head back over the Quincentennial Bridge.

I have drawn it here on a diagram, the second image is just so the lane markings can be seen clearly:

Xiney

In fairness though - you really have to know the area to get that roundabout right the first time. Which is not particularly good practise for roads.... that's the kind of thing that causes accidents.

jkforde

Thanks KevR, your diagram should be posted at every entrance on to SpaghettiJunuction so when drivers are waiting they can get a grip with it before getting on to it!

KevR

Xiney wrote: »

In fairness though - you really have to know the area to get that roundabout right the first time. Which is not particularly good practise for roads.... that's the kind of thing that causes accidents.

Agree that it would be very difficult to figure out first time and that it is dangerous. I know a few people who have been driving for years but avoid that roundabout because they either can't figure it out or have had bad experiences (very near misses) on it.

It should be a lot more straightforward for motorists when complete, and also much safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

happyoutscan

Try not to argue too much now.;)

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/231711.htm

kraggy

brianthebard wrote: »

Oh good more residential properties...

That's what I was thinking.

170,000 units vacant nationwide as we speak.

unJustMary

jkforde wrote: »

Anyone know what types and scale of urban and civic landscaping is planned? Don't give a toss about more bloody retail space but the place is a soulless eyesore.....they couldn't approve something that makes the ugly s!!tehole aesthetically worse.... could they?

Probably could ... imagine the whole thing painted fluro orange!

Seriously though, it's great to hear that this is happening. IMHO there should be a flyover from the Quin bridge to the existing ring-road. I know this was talked about ... not sure if it's included.

If Crown sited had been finished, it would have been a traffic nightmare ... all those two lane suburban roads around it!!! This site is much better placed.

GSC is easily walkable from the city if you're fitt-ish, not carrying much, and it's not raining. But sometimes these aren't true. So what I think should accompany it is a park-and-ride at Oranmore, or perhaps Roscam, and a high-frequency orbiter bus that goes past (and stops at) the P&R, Galway Clinic (my stats show lots of people looking for buses to it) GMIT, Bon Secours, Wellpark, Liosbán estate, GSC, NUIG/UCHG, Spanish Arch (extending to the Docks eventually), Eyre Square, and back again. Or something like that. And probably running in both directions at the same time.

If we were really dreaming, there would be other P&R from the west (Knocknacarra-ish) and north too, with interated timetables and ticketing, so the country people could drop their cars at the edges and know that the public transport would get 'em to the shops.

Xiney

Mary for Mayor!

cranky bollix

they have planning permission! there is no money in this country even with two anchor tenants - I cant see this goin ahead for a long time to come, if ever.they might build 1 or 2 phase's for the anchor tenants and that'll be it.

galwayrush

Excellent news, it will create some badly needed jobs and improve a major existing eyesore.

Amhran Nua

KevR wrote: »

Agree that it would be very difficult to figure out first time and that it is dangerous. I know a few people who have been driving for years but avoid that roundabout because they either can't figure it out or have had bad experiences (very near misses) on it.

I nearly ran into the back of a garda van that was reversing around the roundabout the last day, so its not just general motorists that have problems with it. On the topic of the development, while jobs are always to be welcomed I'd echo those posters looking for longer term development plans for the city - we don't need more international retail franchises in Galway, we need local entrepreneurship encouraged, domestic industry and artisans given more opportunities.

Discodog

Anyone who has been to Oxford will know that Park & Ride can be excellent. Galway needs a P&R carpark in the West as well & there is plenty of spare land for it.

The key is reliability. As you park in Oxford you can see the bus waiting to leave. It does not go until the next bus arrives so you never have more than about 8 minutes to wait. The busses have priority at junctions so the journey is quick. Coming home the busses stop at several points in the city centre close to the shops & again you know that you will not have to wait long.

Park & ride has to be made much cheaper than city parking to make it work.

KevR

The bus lanes which will be on the Seamus Quirke/Bishop O'Donnell Road after it has been upgraded (fingers crossed this summer) would mean that a Park and Ride to the West of the City could have fast and reliable buses going into town.

I think a train station and Park and Ride should be built in Oranmore. People coming into Galway from the East (M6) or South (N18) can park there and get the train into Galway City Centre and there could be buses going from the same P&R to Parkmore, Ballybrit, Ballybane and Liosbaun industrial estates during the week. If the demand was there, they could have buses as well as trains going to the City Centre at peak times. At weekends, when the industrial estates are quiet and town is busy, the buses could be used for additional services into town.

When the Galway-Limerick rail line opens there will be 12 trains each way every day between Athenry and Galway. There is a station planned for Oranmore anyway - they should hurry up and build the thing!! There's no rail P&R planned for Oranmore; an entirely seperate bus P&R has been mooted. I think this would be a massive mistake. The train station at Oranmore is being built anyway so why not have an integrated rail and bus P&R??

brianthebard

KevR wrote: »

It's hard to say. At least there is employment being created in Galway City Centre along with the apartments in town. Back in the boom days there would be big estates going up on the edges of the city (where there is no facilities, jobs or public transport) and loads of one-off houses going up 20+ miles outside the city in County Galway.

I think it's good that the Shopping Centre redevelopment and Ceannt Quarter will increase the population density (through more high rise buildings) in the City Centre where there are facilities, jobs and public transport to the industrial estates on the East Side. It's far more sustainable than what was happening.

I'm sure people who currently own a home might disagree but the more resendtial properties in Galway City Centre and the inner suburbs the better in my opinion because it will keep prices at a much more reasonable level. This will encourage people to live in the city near where they work. During the boom people couldn't afford to live in the city and as a result the countryside in County Galway got destroyed with one-off houses.

There are 345,000 empty properties (170,000 if you don't include holiday homes) in Ireland at the moment. It's safe to say the vast majority of these are ghost estates in counties which never had the population or employment levels to fill those properties. The like of Central Dublin, Galway, Cork and Limerick will never have huge levels of empty properties.

This is for the most part true but the fact is they are planning new housing when there are thousands of properties around the city that are empty or half finished. Its not responsible planning on the part of the County Council for a start and its adding to the attitude of expendable housing. In addition I personally think it would be foolish to believe that Galway, Limerick or even Cork will not or cannot end up with large amounts of empty properties, especially if more are persistently built even now that the bubble has burst.

kraggy

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

€200 million would build most if not all of the bypass, and would provide far more benefits to the city than a pile of teenage clothes shops.

Don't forget about the jobs that will be created as a result ot the shopping centre. Also, though it may be costing 200m, they will be getting this back in the longrun through selling the units/apartments etc and in rental income.

Also, that part of the area badly needs a facelift. It's funny the way one doesn't realise how dated somewhere is because they pass it everday. If you take a look at it with an objective, observant eye, you'll see how disgusting the GSC is.

But I agree, the bypass is badly needed.

unJustMary

cranky bollix wrote: »

they have planning permission! there is no money in this country even with two anchor tenants - I cant see this goin ahead for a long time to come, if ever.they might build 1 or 2 phase's for the anchor tenants and that'll be it.

There's money in some places.

And a recession is a far better time to be building than during a boom: it keeps trades-people available and prices lean.

I do agree that things like this should be planned in stages, and the planning process should take account of the possibility that building will stop after any given stage. (So don't leave all the landscaping 'til Phase 5, for instance).

padraig71

@KevR - great diagram, but in the interests of completeness the middle blue line should continue round where it leads into the left-hand lane on the bridge for traffic that doesn't turn off towards Woodquay.

Kess73

KevR wrote: »

It's hard to say. At least there is employment being created in Galway City Centre along with the apartments in town. Back in the boom days there would be big estates going up on the edges of the city (where there is no facilities, jobs or public transport) and loads of one-off houses going up 20+ miles outside the city in County Galway.

I think it's good that the Shopping Centre redevelopment and Ceannt Quarter will increase the population density (through more high rise buildings) in the City Centre where there are facilities, jobs and public transport to the industrial estates on the East Side. It's far more sustainable than what was happening.

I'm sure people who currently own a home might disagree but the more resendtial properties in Galway City Centre and the inner suburbs the better in my opinion because it will keep prices at a much more reasonable level. This will encourage people to live in the city near where they work. During the boom people couldn't afford to live in the city and as a result the countryside in County Galway got destroyed with one-off houses.

There are 345,000 empty properties (170,000 if you don't include holiday homes) in Ireland at the moment. It's safe to say the vast majority of these are ghost estates in counties which never had the population or employment levels to fill those properties. The like of Central Dublin, Galway, Cork and Limerick will never have huge levels of empty properties.

Unfortunately Limerick does have a high level of empty properties, take your pick from residential, retail, and commercial. As someone who has lived in Glaway and lives in Limerick, I wish that Limerick had city planners/authorities like the Galway ones or like the Cork ones. I know there can be some complaints about your lot, but they do not come close to the jokers we have in Limerick.

KevR

padraig71 wrote: »

@KevR - great diagram, but in the interests of completeness the middle blue line should continue round where it leads into the left-hand lane on the bridge for traffic that doesn't turn off towards Woodquay.

Also, the left lane which goes into the Galway Shopping Centre could continue around and lead into the left-hand lane of the Woodquay exit. Left both of those out so the diagram wouldn't get cluttered.