Galway Shopping Centre - Should It Go?

JupiterKid

The Galway Shopping Centre was the first shopping centre in Connaught when it opened 40 years ago, in 1972. Back at the time of its opening, it must have seemed amazing to people - enclosed malls, large supermarkets and a whole range of shops under one roof to serve a Galway city that was beginning to transform itself from a sleepy remote place into the dynamic and vibrant city it is today.

But is the shopping centre really needed today? The city centre is well served with shops and the Eyre Square Centre and a number of other shopping centres have sprung up in recent years in the suburbs to serve the city.

The Galway Shopping centre is very dated and ugly and it creates traffic problems in and around the Headford Road and Quincentennial bridge.

So, should the Galway Shopping Centre (and the retail park opposite it) be demolished and replaced by something else?

s8n

Yes

/thread

ciano1

Ah tis grand where it is

Unrealistic

JupiterKid wrote: »

The Galway Shopping Centre was the first shopping centre in Connaught when it opened 40 years ago, in 1972. Back at the time of its opening, it must have seemed amazing to people - enclosed malls, large supermarkets and a whole range of shops under one roof to serve a Galway city that was beginning to transform itself from a sleepy remote place into the dynamic and vibrant city it is today.

It was actually open air until a much later revamp. The shops had a canopy extending out over their frontage but it didn't reach half way across to the meet the canopy from the shop opposite so the centre of the walkway was open to the elements. You definitely felt you were outside rather than inside.

JupiterKid wrote: »

But is the shopping centre really needed today? The city centre is well served with shops and the Eyre Square Centre and a number of other shopping centres have sprung up in recent years in the suburbs to serve the city.

Eyre Square centre is paid parking, requires you to venture right into the city centre rather than skirting around the edges, and doesn't have a decent supermarket (small footprint Dunnes). The only comparable options on the east side of the city are Dunnes Terryland or Briarhill (also Dunnes). So you are proposing to hand a virtual monopoly to Dunnes?

JupiterKid wrote: »

The Galway Shopping centre is very dated and ugly and it creates traffic problems in and around the Headford Road and Quincentennial bridge.

It can only be creating traffic problems if people are actually using it. So why should those people be inconvenienced to facilitate others who are just passing through?

JupiterKid wrote: »

So, should the Galway Shopping Centre (and the retail park opposite it) be demolished and replaced by something else?

So we should lose Smyths, Elverys, and Halfords as well and create another monopoly (multiplex cinema)? I may be getting the wrong end of the stick but you sound like someone who lives in the Western suburbs but commutes to Ballybrit or Parkmore and who has had a particularly rough journey home this evening and wants to vent your frustrations on someone or something.

ben.schlomo

No it shouldn't, its providing services to many thousands each week, a large provider of jobs which i assume you are going to replace quickly in the short term? Pointless thread, no offence.

yer man!

the new plans for it are very very nice, lots of glass, very modern, way more floorspace, underground parking, however that's all they are, plans..... It is dated right now but it does serve a purpose, when it eventually is upgraded you wouldn't be saying the same thing OP.

JupiterKid

I do have a right to express an opinion. Galway Shopping Centre served a very important purpose 20, 30 and 40 years ago but the city has grown and developed so much since 1972 - the population over the past 40 years has gone from 29,000 to 77,000 and there are a number of other shopping centres.

We all know how dire the traffic on the Headford Road is which isn't helped by the shopping centre or the retail park. Galway is far too car dependent while it has a beautiful (but small) and vibrant city centre that could do with more shops to fill the vacant units there.

Of course the Galway Shopping centre provides jobs - and jobs that are needed in these current times - but you could argue that an aluminium smelting facility on Galway Bay "provides jobs" even if it would be an environmental disaster.

It just seems to me that the shopping centre has seen better days and has become obsolete. Maybe it should be knocked and replaced by a completely new centre, served by a dedicated high capacity bus service and multi storey car parks - as it is in its current state it's a dreadful waste of land.

Lapin

I think it was the late Peter McCarthy in his book McCarthy's Bar who wrote - and I'm quoting from memory here -

"There is a roundabout close to the centre of Galway City serving hideous shopping malls and drive thru restaurants that wouldn't have been granted planning permission in New Jersey. How something so ugly can exist less than a mile from the medieval heart of town is a mystery of planning regulation."

I think he sums the place up perfectly.

JupiterKid

Lapin wrote: »

I think it was the late Peter McCarthy in his book McCarthy's Bar who wrote - and I'm quoting from memory here -

"There is a roundabout close to the centre of Galway City serving hideous shopping malls and drive thru restaurants that wouldn't have been granted planning permission in New Jersey. How something so ugly can exist less than a mile from the medieval heart of town is a mystery of planning regulation."

I think he sums the place up perfectly.

I would agree with his sentiment. I'm not actually against drive thru McDonalds or any other fast food outlets or the large retail stores like Smyths - they serve Galway well. My problem is their location - immediately north of the historic city centre and at a critical "pinch point" for much of the city's traffic. Also, let's face it - the retail park and Galway shopping centre are eyesores.

Perhaps a new shopping centre shoud be built further out of the city as its current location - whilst fine in the much, much smaller Galway of 1972, is a major contributor to the severe traffic problems the city endures.

Ficheall

Maybe the problem is with the surplus of cars? As a pedestrian, I'm sure my trips to Tesco would benefit greatly from the hypothetical removal of that poxy roundabout.

Wompa1

JupiterKid wrote: »

I would agree with his sentiment. I'm not actually against drive thru McDonalds or any other fast food outlets or the large retail stores like Smyths - they serve Galway well. My problem is their location - immediately north of the historic city centre and at a critical "pinch point" for much of the city's traffic. Also, let's face it - the retail park and Galway shopping centre are eyesores.

Perhaps a new shopping centre shoud be built further out of the city as its current location - whilst fine in the much, much smaller Galway of 1972, is a major contributor to the severe traffic problems the city endures.

Historic me arse...

galwayrush

yer man! wrote: »

the new plans for it are very very nice, lots of glass, very modern, way more floorspace, underground parking, however that's all they are, plans..... It is dated right now but it does serve a purpose, when it eventually is upgraded you wouldn't be saying the same thing OP.

The revamp is adue to start within 18 months..

I thought polanning was refused due to the increase in traffic it would bring? Maybe I'm behind the times though and it has been granted in the meantme

squonk

I live near there. I don't use a car. The shopping center is a great location IMHO. It's got all you need under the one roof. I prefer it to the Eyre Square center, less arsing around to try and get from A-B. The retail park across the road is great too. Moving it further out is a dumb idea. You're just kicking the problem on and the same thread will crop up in 30-40 years time complaing about the size and facilities of moved centre.

I think the place has worn well. I've seen worse centres of a similar age in Limerick/Ennis.

beardybrewer

Closing it down is a dumb idea. You need more options outside the city centre not less. I don't want to go in to town for my day-to-day shopping. Decentralizing the big shops out of the city centre alliveates traffic. This leaves the city centre free for restaurants, pubs, and specialty shops which attract tourists.

Limerick has a better malls than Galway. What we need is a modern, larger mall, with a parking tower.

Bigger! Better! New! Improved! Destroy!

yer man!

Once there's a bypass the traffic around the complex should be ok. Also the exit off the roundabout into the shopping centre is being extinguished. http://www.galwaycity.ie/N6/130212_01.pdf

antoobrien

newkie wrote: »

Limerick has a better malls than Galway. What we need is a modern, larger mall, with a parking tower.

Bigger! Better! New! Improved! Destroy!

It'll take a while but gradually move the retail park tenants into new buildings in the shopping center and convert the the retail park into a multi story.

Convert the retail park into a city wide transport hub & multi story car park, wtih a pedestrian bridge linking the 2nd/3rd floor of the car park to the 2nd/3rd floor of the shopping center - like the connection from the car park in Dublin airport's T2 to the terminal proper.

Robbo

newkie wrote: »

Closing it down is a dumb idea. You need more options outside the city centre not less. I don't want to go in to town for my day-to-day shopping. Decentralizing the big shops out of the city centre alliveates traffic. This leaves the city centre free for restaurants, pubs, and specialty shops which attract tourists.

Limerick has a better malls than Galway. What we need is a modern, larger mall, with a parking tower.

I presume you're taking the mick by citing Limerick as an example? The doughnut effect of all their out of town shopping centres has the middle of town there more of a ghost town than Galway ever will be.

Sponge Bob

Knocknacarra has a big hole in the ground with a Dunnes Stores next to it. Mervue just has a big hole.

Why can't we simply do the same thing on the Headford Road??

ben.schlomo

JupiterKid wrote: »

I do have a right to express an opinion. Galway Shopping Centre served a very important purpose 20, 30 and 40 years ago but the city has grown and developed so much since 1972 - the population over the past 40 years has gone from 29,000 to 77,000 and there are a number of other shopping centres.

We all know how dire the traffic on the Headford Road is which isn't helped by the shopping centre or the retail park. Galway is far too car dependent while it has a beautiful (but small) and vibrant city centre that could do with more shops to fill the vacant units there.

Of course the Galway Shopping centre provides jobs - and jobs that are needed in these current times - but you could argue that an aluminium smelting facility on Galway Bay "provides jobs" even if it would be an environmental disaster.

It just seems to me that the shopping centre has seen better days and has become obsolete. Maybe it should be knocked and replaced by a completely new centre, served by a dedicated high capacity bus service and multi storey car parks - as it is in its current state it's a dreadful waste of land.

How is it obsolete, its very busy any time i go out there. Plus you think retailers in relatively large shopping centre units would want to move to small city centre units where rents are higher? You really haven't thought this out.

bonzodog2

Maybe finish off Crown Plaza (not sure how big it is or how much parking) and do something other than retail at one of the sites on Headford Rd perhaps ?

Robbo

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Knocknacarra has a big hole in the ground with a Dunnes Stores next to it. Mervue just has a big hole.

Why can't we simply do the same thing on the Headford Road??

A series of multi-purpose aquadromes which can be ice rinks in the winter?

Mrs OBumble

So where exactly could the replacement Tesco go, that's within walking distance of the city centre? 'Cos I sure as *** can't find everything I want in "Dunnes Stores, the difference is we have a restricted product line, poor store organisation and treat our staff badly".

And if you're gunning for the retail park too - what about the replacement Woodies?

The city centre would have space for the smaller footprint retailers (though I'm not actually convinced that there's that much empty space there), but not the larger ones.

Seems to me that the folks who are in favour of this idea are the ones with cars, who'd not be worried by having to drive an extra 2-5kms.

Those of us who choose to live car-free see things a bit differently.


And for those of you suggesting moving it further out of town - would that be inside or outside the longed-for Outer Bypass? Just curious like ...

snubbleste

It's a fantastic location for the service it provides. OP away with the fairies with your idea :cool:

I thought planning permission was granted in 2010?

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

Zzippy

Robbo wrote: »

A series of multi-purpose aquadromes which can be ice rinks in the winter?

With a monorail. Don't forget the monorail!

OP, howya When's the last time you came down to Galway, and why didn't you give me a buzz for pints?
The shopping centre might be an eyesore, and the Headford Rd might be a traffic bottleneck, but its a very busy shopping centre and definitely not obsolete - if you remove it the city centre will become even more congested as people will be forced into town more. Traffic will hopefully (!) be addressed with the new signalised junctions, though I remain to be convinced of that. Can't be any worse than the magic roundabout though...

Wasn't there a proposal about 2 years ago to completely redevelop the shopping centre? Or am I thinking of something else?

Edit: thanks pg633! That's what I was thinking of...

schween

JupiterKid wrote: »

I do have a right to express an opinion. Galway Shopping Centre served a very important purpose 20, 30 and 40 years ago but the city has grown and developed so much since 1972 - the population over the past 40 years has gone from 29,000 to 77,000 and there are a number of other shopping centres.

We all know how dire the traffic on the Headford Road is which isn't helped by the shopping centre or the retail park. Galway is far too car dependent while it has a beautiful (but small) and vibrant city centre that could do with more shops to fill the vacant units there.

Of course the Galway Shopping centre provides jobs - and jobs that are needed in these current times - but you could argue that an aluminium smelting facility on Galway Bay "provides jobs" even if it would be an environmental disaster.

It just seems to me that the shopping centre has seen better days and has become obsolete. Maybe it should be knocked and replaced by a completely new centre, served by a dedicated high capacity bus service and multi storey car parks - as it is in its current state it's a dreadful waste of land.

The shopping centre served a purpose 20, 30 and 40 years ago just as it still does today to the many people who visit it.

These other "shopping centres"...where exactly are they?
Westside? - Rubbish
Briarhill? - Just a Dunnes Stores really.
Knocknacarra? - Rubbish, barely anything there.

Do you really think that removing the shopping centre will improve the traffic situation hugely? I doubt it will much. The huge traffic jams are citywide and stretch from one side of town to the other. Removing the centre won't improve things majorly.

Comparing the SC to an aluminium plant? I'm not even going to comment on that comparison.

I don't understand why you suggest to demolish the centre for environmental reasons and then suggest to replace with with another along with multi-storey car parks, which would attract even more traffic?

JupiterKid wrote: »

Perhaps a new shopping centre shoud be built further out of the city as its current location - whilst fine in the much, much smaller Galway of 1972, is a major contributor to the severe traffic problems the city endures.

While I personally have no issue with out of town shopping centres, aren't they known for increasing car dependence and traffic congestion?

CPG

JupiterKid wrote: »

The Galway Shopping Centre was the first shopping centre in Connaught when it opened 40 years ago, in 1972. Back at the time of its opening, it must have seemed amazing to people - enclosed malls, large supermarkets and a whole range of shops under one roof to serve a Galway city that was beginning to transform itself from a sleepy remote place into the dynamic and vibrant city it is today.

But is the shopping centre really needed today? The city centre is well served with shops and the Eyre Square Centre and a number of other shopping centres have sprung up in recent years in the suburbs to serve the city.

The Galway Shopping centre is very dated and ugly and it creates traffic problems in and around the Headford Road and Quincentennial bridge.

So, should the Galway Shopping Centre (and the retail park opposite it) be demolished and replaced by something else?

Get rid of it I say, Galway needs more job losses.

JupiterKid

Having given this a little more thought I would like to see a public transport hub developed on the site of the shopping centre and the retail park moved further out of the city. A mixed use development of shops, offices and apartments might fit the bill.

The site is somewhat of a waste of land as it is.

TheCosmicFrog

Deleted User wrote: »

I thought planning permission was granted in 2010?

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

Jesus, that's a dreadful image.

dloob

If you want to see more the application is here http://gis.galwaycity.ie/WebDocsViewer/Results.asp?file_number=0533

It's a huge application, page 464 and onwards of the drawings seems to have most of the actual details, it's all traffic analysis before that.
It appears there is supposed to be a theater in the bit near the road.
There are some before and after picture from page 573 onwards.

magnumbud

the idea of getting rid of them is completely absurd and saying it no longer serves a purpose you clearly dont use it for your shopping if you did you would see many many people there doing weekly shopping etc. i use it quite regularly for my weekly shops as do many people without cars and it is far better to go there then having the extra walk to town. i get that the traffic is poor but is getting rid of it really going to solve anything. the problem is the road is not cut out for that kind of traffic which i guarantee will still exist with or without them. as far as the plans to do it up i personally think that would be madness in the current financial climate. im from an area in cork called douglas where a shopping centre just like this one was done up. the galway shopping centre actually looks quite similar from the style of tiles to the ceiling and also has tesco as its main super market. the problem was when the construction began it killed many of the small local shops as so many customers were driven away from it by the annoyance of the building work and for nearly a year after construction finished it was nearly empty of shops. only recently has it again started to have enough shops to have people walking from one end to the other and not just going in the tesco sides entrance and so getting people to go into the shops that survived long enough and have enough customers but the toll is there to see for anyone who lived near or worked in the centre as many of the old shops are gone which had been there for many many years. it still has a few empty shops and it has been 3 years since it was completed. i'm not saying never do it but if they do it in the current financial climate you will kill many of the shops which are there so long and who are probably not part of a franchise which can help it survive.