whats going to happen to shopping centre opposite supermacs in athlone

finky1

its a disgrace the way this shoping centre has turn out who owns it now

mr_edge_to_you

I suppose you could say its a sleeping giant.

AmPm should take it over and wake it up from its deep slumber.

cena

Is the car park even used in it. Its an awful site to look at

SilverScreen

I have no idea who owns it now but something needs to be done with it. Is the Polish supermarket still there? I think it's the only tenent the place has at the moment. But you only have to look at the place and look at the old Texas site in Tullamore to know who is to blame.

Steven81

In fairness though from Supermacs to Marys Discount store has gone down big time in the last few years. Rayners that was booming 10 years ago gone, the main shops have moved to other areas affecting this area

walrusgumble

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

I suppose you could say its a sleeping giant.

AmPm should take it over and wake it up from its deep slumber.

Imagine the sound of the door bell / buzzer when one enters and leaves the shop

It would be louder than the church bells

athlonelad

walrusgumble wrote: »

Imagine the sound of the door bell / buzzer when one enters and leaves the shop

It would be louder than the church bells

Maybe they could turn it into a maaaaaasive art gallery!

Tom Mcnamara was the man behind it. Texas Tom yoooooour craaazzzyy!

demanufactured

Maybe the old cinema will re open...or paramount amusement arcade.

Saint_Mel

And to add to it ...they (cant remember the investors name) are looking into building another complex out past Ganlys ... cos thats exactly what Athlone needs .... another shopping centre!

I read somewhere they were in talks with Aldi about opening a store out there!

nice_guy80

Saint_Mel wrote: »

And to add to it ...they (cant remember the investors name) are looking into building another complex out past Ganlys ... cos thats exactly what Athlone needs .... another shopping centre!

I read somewhere they were in talks with Aldi about opening a store out there!

at least it would located on the good side of Athlone

athlonelad

nice_guy80 wrote: »

at least it would located on the good side of Athlone

Athlone has a good side?

Lenin Skynard

Saint_Mel wrote: »

And to add to it ...they (cant remember the investors name) are looking into building another complex out past Ganlys ... cos thats exactly what Athlone needs .... another shopping centre!

I'd put a hefty wager on "they" being someone of a Roscommon ilk.

The anchor tenant in the place would end up being Heatons or Massie Ferguson.

stapolinhosting

Saint_Mel wrote: »

I read somewhere they were in talks with Aldi about opening a store out there!

Yeah, your right, I read that in the paper last week.
Aldi are actively looking for new sites in Athlone.

cyclops999

Tesco to open in Monksland with petrol pumps ?

demanufactured

cyclops999 wrote: »

Tesco to open in Monksland with petrol pumps ?

Doubtful.

walrusgumble

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

I'd put a hefty wager on "they" being someone of a Roscommon ilk.

The anchor tenant in the place would end up being Heatons or Massie Ferguson.

At least it would be profitable as oppose to pouncy cafe's or clothes shops for shapers

SilverScreen

walrusgumble wrote: »

At least it would be profitable as oppose to pouncy cafe's or clothes shops for shapers

Don't worry, I'm sure they will open up a shop that sells wellies and body-warmers just for you

flazio

See how far we've come from the original point about the old shopping centre?

cyclops999

It's a bloody eyesore the way it is now.

finky1

cyclops999 wrote: »

It's a bloody eyesore the way it is now.

the only things in that place is the polish shop atm and the car parking who gets the money from the car parking

galait

finky1 wrote: »

the only things in that place is the polish shop atm and the car parking who gets the money from the car parking

Wrong - Shannon Dry Cleaners are still there

Mearings

There can be few buldings more ugly than an unused concrete multi floor
car park.

ifeelill

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

I suppose you could say its a sleeping giant.

AmPm should take it over and wake it up from its deep slumber.

I was in AmPm the other day, not much on the selves at all.

Jayob10

Saint_Mel wrote: »

And to add to it ...they (cant remember the investors name) are looking into building another complex out past Ganlys ... cos thats exactly what Athlone needs .... another shopping centre!

I read somewhere they were in talks with Aldi about opening a store out there!

good idea that, big population out that way in Kiltoom. They probably wouldn't bother going into town at that rate

Some pretty posh areas out that way though, Hodson Bay and Barrymore namely, surely they wouldn't slum it in Aldi though :P

Build it (Marks and Spencers) and they will come

charlieIRL

cyclops999 wrote: »

Tesco to open in Monksland with petrol pumps ?

heard (probably a rumor) that they are looking to go in opposite Elan just off the roundabout. Few people have said it to me now at this stage.

charlieIRL

Saint_Mel wrote: »

And to add to it ...they (cant remember the investors name) are looking into building another complex out past Ganlys ... cos thats exactly what Athlone needs .... another shopping centre!

I read somewhere they were in talks with Aldi about opening a store out there!

planning has been lodged for this as well. Seen the add in the paper recently.

L.Jenkins

That would be a boost for the area, but a possible disaster for the likes of Bannons out the Tuam road and Connaughtons Londis, which seems to be over crowded with cars at peak times. The old 'old' shopping centre in town opposite Supermacs definately needs a lift, even if they used the site as a car park. Would help with parking for the likes of Golden island and the new Centre in town.

The main street from the Bridge, never mind Marys back down towards Supermacs needs a bit of a face lift as well to be honest. I'm not sure I'd support pedestrianising the street or making a one way out of it though.

athlonelad

Itzy wrote: »

That would be a boost for the area, but a possible disaster for the likes of Bannons out the Tuam road and Connaughtons Londis, which seems to be over crowded with cars at peak times. The old 'old' shopping centre in town opposite Supermacs definately needs a lift, even if they used the site as a car park. Would help with parking for the likes of Golden island and the new Centre in town.

The main street from the Bridge, never mind Marys back down towards Supermacs needs a bit of a face lift as well to be honest. I'm not sure I'd support pedestrianising the street or making a one way out of it though.

Id be in favour of a one way system on church Street if it was implemented properly.
When they trialed it in 2008 they didnt think of the volume of cars coming across the bridge who had to try and get through traffic all the way from the bridge as far as the cresent.
It was a nightmare trying to get into the middle of town from the west. If you have a street that is one way the logical thing to have is another street going one way in the opposite direction

ifeelill

+1 for a pedestrianized street

galait

Jayob10 wrote: »

good idea that, big population out that way in Kiltoom. They probably wouldn't bother going into town at that rate

Some pretty posh areas out that way though, Hodson Bay and Barrymore namely, surely they wouldn't slum it in Aldi though :P

Build it (Marks and Spencers) and they will come

Barrymore is also known as "Borrowmore" , There is a lot "Fur Coat No Nickers" people living in Both Barrymore/Hodson Bay and yes lots of them shop in Aldi , BTW a lot of folk out that way head to Roscommon to to do food shopping as Dunnes/Tesco/Aldi are next to each and easy to manage,
I would agree Aldi on the west side of Athlone would do a bomb , Jusk look at Supervalu in Monksland , On Xmas eve they had to close the doors and operate strict crowd control.

walrusgumble

Zero1986 wrote: »

Don't worry, I'm sure they will open up a shop that sells wellies and body-warmers just for you

Oh dear, I will be thorn between that and my loyalty to Dolan's Shop , next to Croughan's in Castlemaine St.

Still at least the body warmer will do the job and won't cost €60-220 just for the joys of a logo and a style that says, "rent boy"

L.Jenkins

On saying that, would Aldi close down their operation near Irish Town to open a new unit or run both. The west side of Athlone is in need of some redevelopment as well. If they were to do something to make Seans Bar area more attractive, as attractive as it is alreay, I'm sure the area could even better in years to come.

stapolinhosting

cyclops999 wrote: »

Tesco to open in Monksland with petrol pumps ?

Already a Tesco just before you turn into Monksland off the Tuam road.

stapolinhosting

Itzy wrote: »

On saying that, would Aldi close down their operation near Irish Town to open a new unit or run both.

They are looking for a second site as far as I know due to the huge popularity of the current Aldi store in town. But the new one would be not much off the motorway so easy access for everyone who lives outside town if they get the plot they want on Roscommon road.

tubos

that plot on the ballymahon road that is up for sale(the old bucanneers pitch apparently) may be useful to the likes of Aldi. I dont think it would sustain the business that the current planning permission is for, but might suit Aldi if its big enough.

L.Jenkins

Well I could see Lidl opening another store on such a site if Aldi were to open on the other side of town. They would both have the population in the surrounding areas to open one new store each. Tesco should still open the store and pumps opposite Elan. Giver Supervalue a run for it's money, even though it would be a small store possibly.

The west side of Athlone despite all the building works, needs to attract new business, especially in the Monksland area.

stapolinhosting

tubos wrote: »

that plot on the ballymahon road that is up for sale(the old bucanneers pitch apparently) may be useful to the likes of Aldi. I dont think it would sustain the business that the current planning permission is for, but might suit Aldi if its big enough.

I think the aim might be to get it out the roscommon side due to the increased population in the last ten years. Monksland/River Village/Bealnamulla have all grown a lot and between those areas and surrounding areas, it could be enough to keep a shop such Aldi running well.

The plot on Ballymahon Road is a nice spot, but I think it would be too small. You could fit a large store on it no problem, but then you need to think about car parking, commercial access (as far as I know, there are some restrictions on entrances to properties for commercial access ie; delivery trucks need to turn off the main road before entering the property boundary (don't quote me on that, its just something that came to mind but not 100% sure of it.))

stapolinhosting

Itzy wrote: »

The west side of Athlone despite all the building works, needs to attract new business, especially in the Monksland area.

Monksland is doing quite well in attracting new businesses, the monksland business park has have a number of new businesses open up in the last few years, and a few revamped to keep up. Although, there are still plenty of empty units left, business is generally good in Monksland.

L.Jenkins

Generally the west side of town needs alittle bit of redevelopment. Especially the older buildings along Connaught street.

ifeelill

I was over that side the other day. There are so many vacant units even though the west side has already had a redevelopment plan implemented by the government to make the area more attractive to business. Seems there isnt many larger business on that side to attract consumers as there is on the east side of town.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Connaught St has been dead since a long time before any Celtic tigers arrived. I remember doing a survey on it for civics back in secondary school in the 90s and I think about a third of the units were empty at that stage. The core business district of Athlone slowly but surely drifted across from St Peter's Sq to Church St and then on to Golden Island/Irishtown.

Can't see the westside, particularly Connaught St, prospering in any meaningful way anytime soon, unless a large and meaningful regeneration project was to be undertaken. That redevelopment plan was little more than oul pub talk.

L.Jenkins

That's what the west side of the town needs though. A regeneration project to clean up the likes of Connaught street.

athlonelad

Itzy wrote: »

That's what the west side of the town needs though. A regeneration project to clean up the likes of Connaught street.

I think every side of town needs a regeneration project (look at the amount of empty units in church st and irishtown)...

Maybe every town needs one too....

Until both rent and rates becone affordable nothing will be done. Even the businesses that are still open are struggling.

flazio

I wonder, with the news that B&Q Athlone is to close (no major surprise, Athlone has way too many DIY outlets), perhaps Tesco or Aldi might look into opening there. It has great access to the bypass/motorway and loads of parking space.
Tesco must be feeling quite constrained in Golden Island at the minute. When you look at stores they have in Tullamore, Ballinasloe and Birr for example, the site of B&Q would be perfect for one of those style stores.

Lando Griffin

BTW a lot of folk out that way head to Roscommon to to do food shopping as Dunnes/Tesco/Aldi are next to each and easy to manage,

and the mart.

holyhead

Athlone is a funny ol town. Population wise it is quite large by Irish standards and its central location makes it handy for alot of reasons. Problem is it lacks a proper main street. Golden Island put the tin hat on Church St as a proper shopping street. The new town centre is nice but its squeezed into existing streetscapes preventing it from having a proper visual impact save the approach from the town hall. Connaught St would bring a tear to a glass eye. There's a bit of charm around the castle seans bar area. Otherwise the town centre is stringy with a lack of core/focal point to it. As for the Texas centre , to address the topic! I can only imagine the wrecking ball after years of decay. The view from St Mary's Sq is particularly distressing. Oh well

SilverScreen

Ideally Church Street should be a pedestrianised high street but it would cause havoc for the traffic in the town. I agree the nicest part of the town is around the castle and Main Street, it's the only part of the town centre that has had any money invested in it in recent years. Irishtown has gone to f*ck and the Texas Centre should be knocked, there's not much else you can do with it.

athlonelad

holyhead wrote: »

Athlone is a funny ol town. Population wise it is quite large by Irish standards and its central location makes it handy for alot of reasons. Problem is it lacks a proper main street. Golden Island put the tin hat on Church St as a proper shopping street. The new town centre is nice but its squeezed into existing streetscapes preventing it from having a proper visual impact save the approach from the town hall. Connaught St would bring a tear to a glass eye. There's a bit of charm around the castle seans bar area. Otherwise the town centre is stringy with a lack of core/focal point to it. As for the Texas centre , to address the topic! I can only imagine the wrecking ball after years of decay. The view from St Mary's Sq is particularly distressing. Oh well

Seen in the paper the council are trying to get the texas shopping centre declared derelict if the developer isnt willing to tidy it up.

BenEadir

athlonelad wrote: »

Seen in the paper the council are trying to get the texas shopping centre declared derelict if the developer isnt willing to tidy it up.

Good idea. They should force him to maintain it if they can but I can't see them getting a green light to demolish it much as I'd like to see the eyesore demolished. The developer no doubt pledged the property against loans which are now in default/NAMA so even if the developer is guilty of not maintaining it the Council would have to get past a bank/NAMA who aren't going to just walk away from it. They would rather auction the site, take what cash they can get, and move the problem on to a new owner who might (hopefully) determine that the best use of the site is to knock it and turn it into a car park!!

Ben

athlonelad

BenThere wrote: »

Good idea. They should force him to maintain it if they can but I can't see them getting a green light to demolish it much as I'd like to see the eyesore demolished. The developer no doubt pledged the property against loans which are now in default/NAMA so even if the developer is guilty of not maintaining it the Council would have to get past a bank/NAMA who aren't going to just walk away from it. They would rather auction the site, take what cash they can get, and move the problem on to a new owner who might (hopefully) determine that the best use of the site is to knock it and turn it into a car park!!

Ben

It is essentially already a carpark. Where did you hear it was in NAMA?

BenEadir

athlonelad wrote: »

It is essentially already a carpark. Where did you hear it was in NAMA?

I didn't say it was in NAMA. I said the owner 'may' have outstanding finance on it which could have been transferred to NAMA. Who knows?

Ben