Pennys Longwalk SC Dundalk closing.

10green bottles

Another jobs blow for the town centre.

Dundalk has suffered another massive commercial blow with the news that Penneys in the Long Walk Shopping Centre is to close.

Staff were informed of the decision this afternoon.

Penneys has been an anchor tenant in the centre since it opened 20 years ago this year.

The store briefly closed following the opening of the Marshes Shopping Centre but reopened soon after.

No date has yet been revealed as to when the store will close for good or how many staff will lose their jobs although the company will have pulled out before the start of March it is understood.

The news is also a major blow to the Long Walk Shopping Centre and that area of town, which has suffered greatly from the closure of Carroll Village and a host of shop closures in Clanbrassil Street and the Northend in recent years.

http://talkofthetown.ie/2014/01/08/penneys-closing-in-long-walk-shopping-centre/

Reaction -

http://talkofthetown.ie/2014/01/09/malone-disappointed-in-decision-of-penneys-to-pull-out-of-long-walk-shopping-centre/

http://talkofthetown.ie/2014/01/09/green-expresses-shock-at-news-of-penneys-closure/

Salt001

But the only reason that Penneys went back to the Long Walk Shopping Centre is that they were forced back because they ran out on their lease.
This has surely been on the cards since then that they would pull out as soon as they could.

10green bottles

Salt001 wrote: »

But the only reason that Penneys went back to the Long Walk Shopping Centre is that they were forced back because they ran out on their lease.
This has surely been on the cards since then that they would pull out as soon as they could.

Not unexpected but a lot of people will tell you that the store seemed to be busy and thriving.Also Pennys could have made what plans they had clear to the staff a lot earlier than the 2nd Wednesday in January,with plans to close up by March.Primark dont have much time for their staff and no time at all for the people in middle-eastern sweatshops who supply them.

Salt001

10green bottles wrote: »

Not unexpected but a lot of people will tell you that the store seemed to be busy and thriving.Also Pennys could have made what plans they had clear to the staff a lot earlier than the 2nd Wednesday in January,with plans to close up by March.Primark dont have much time for their staff and no time at all for the people in middle-eastern sweatshops who supply them.

Oh I totally agree with that but I always presumed that they would go and surely that should have occurred to staff .
It is a great store and much easier to access than the Marshes and I will be sorry to see it go and I am very sorry to see people out of work also.
Are any of the staff to transfer to the Marshes, I think most of the original staff transfered way back when ??.
I wonder who will take over the spot. I did hear that Dealz (the southern version of Poundland) were interested

10green bottles

Salt001 wrote: »

Oh I totally agree with that but I always presumed that they would go and surely that should have occurred to staff .
It is a great store and much easier to access than the Marshes and I will be sorry to see it go and I am very sorry to see people out of work also.
Are any of the staff to transfer to the Marshes, I think most of the original staff transfered way back when ??.
I wonder who will take over the spot. I did hear that Dealz (the southern version of Poundland) were interested

Well funny enough i dont know anyone who works there(cos u would normally always know one or two) but i hope that all of them get transfered to the Marshes and i also hope that Dealz deal becomes a real deal LOL (that said,it would prob kill off that other cheap store in the centre)

Salt001

10green bottles wrote: »

Well funny enough i dont know anyone who works there(cos u would normally always know one or two) but i hope that all of them get transfered to the Marshes and i also hope that Dealz deal becomes a real deal LOL (that said,it would prob kill off that other cheap store in the centre)

Yes that would be unfortunate about the other bargain store.
Yes all the staff from the Penneys store are fairly young and maybe part-time, not that that matters really if you are losing your job.
I wonder will the managers transfer to the Marshes or elsewhere as they move around quite a lot anyway.
Dealz were supposed to be interested in the old Dunnes Stores premises on Park Street but felt it was too big so .........????

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

That store was reopened under duress and it was always known that it would close once they had cleared the lease obligations. The staff were well aware of this.
The same will happen Tesco when they finish building the new store.

10green bottles

Titan Ugly Schoolmarm wrote: »

That store was reopened under duress and it was always known that it would close once they had cleared the lease obligations. The staff were well aware of this.
The same will happen Tesco when they finish building the new store.

Roger.Jobs are heading to the marshes.Still annoying that jobs are being taken from the town centre.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

10green bottles wrote: »

Roger.Jobs are heading to the marshes.Still annoying that jobs are being taken from the town centre.

You just have to consider the Marshes the town centre now. I can remember the long walk being far from considered the centre of town. At one time people to the west of the town considered Park St to Lucy Sorahans corner the main shopping area of town. Towns develop and things move on.

MugMugs

Big shame. If marshes didn't have it the Longwalk generally always did!

Good to see jobs being redeployed all the same!

If a cinema goes ahead in either the retail park or Marshes that'll be the last thing people would bother with that end of town gone. It'd be a pity and looking at the make-up of the population in the area it would follow a pretty disappointing pattern.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Deleted User wrote: »

... and looking at the make-up of the population in the area it would follow a pretty disappointing pattern.

Care to expand on what you mean by that?

Titan Ugly Schoolmarm

Titan Ugly Schoolmarm wrote: »

Care to expand on what you mean by that?

I didn't think it needed much explanation. Get foreigners into an area then gut it. Happens everywhere and I'm disappointed it seems to be happening here.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

You obviously don't remember the decay in that part of town before the Long Walk was developed - when no foreigners lived in the area.
Areas of Dundalk have decayed and been gutted through the years. It's part of the development of an urban area? Remember the "homes" where the CBS now stands? The pepper pot houses at the end of Anne St. The supermarkets in Park Street, the Oriel cinema? Things change. Always have.

P. Breathnach

What were the pepper pot houses? [I remember the other things.]

On balance, I think the development of the Long Walk was a bad thing. Inferior road development; awkward for pedestrian access; not sufficiently strongly linked to Clanbrassil Street, resulting in accelerated decline of what was the principal shopping street.

MugMugs

Agreed.

It's very much so "All over the shop" if you'll excuse the Pun.

Long Walk / Carrol Village. Only direct link was down by the side of where the Leader used to be.

Then The MArshes and the Old SC / Tesco on the other side of town. The Longwalk and Carrol Villages decline may be a good thing in the long run. If it could give our main thoroughfair a bit of rejuvination.

tayto lover

The main street in the town needs a big supermarket with parking in order to get people back into the center of the town.
I can't see any place suitable.
It's like a ghost town at times.
Very poor town planning.

Titan Ugly Schoolmarm

Titan Ugly Schoolmarm wrote: »

You obviously don't remember the decay in that part of town before the Long Walk was developed - when no foreigners lived in the area.
Areas of Dundalk have decayed and been gutted through the years. It's part of the development of an urban area? Remember the "homes" where the CBS now stands? The pepper pot houses at the end of Anne St. The supermarkets in Park Street, the Oriel cinema? Things change. Always have.

Is it not a bit quick to happen this time though? The amount of development in that area encompassing the Long Walk, Superquinn, the cinema, apartments all in what, 15-20 years and already a lot of it is gone. How long has Superquinn been left empty already? It's not one thing, it'd be just about everything.
It's a pretty well-established pattern internationally, and something which it's possible to avoid.

Waitsian

Deleted User wrote: »

I didn't think it needed much explanation. Get foreigners into an area then gut it. Happens everywhere and I'm disappointed it seems to be happening here.

If all else fails, blame the foreigners. I'm a foreigner; am I to blame too?

mod9maple

mod9maple wrote: »

If all else fails, blame the foreigners. I'm a foreigner; am I to blame too?

Where am I blaming foreigners?

Jesus people really need to learn how to read and to not make up things that aren't there.

cournioni

Back on topic please. The focus on this thread is on the Longwalk SC, job losses and the general economic climate in Dundalk. If people wish to discuss other topics please start a new thread in the relevant forum.

tayto lover

There is one shop as far as I see on the main street of the biggest town in Ireland where you could purchase a few groceries , Costcutters.
Otherwise the street is full of bookies, hairdressers and pubs.
The town center is in decay and has been for a long time.
The only reason I go down the street at all is to go to Mc Ardle Meats or Peter Conlons.
Nothing else worth going to. The other shops are ten a penny.

DundalkDuffman

tayto lover wrote: »

The main street in the town needs a big supermarket with parking in order to get people back into the center of the town.
I can't see any place suitable.
It's like a ghost town at times.
Very poor town planning.

Dunnes Stores on Park Street would fit the bill however they seem reluctant to lease it or sell it. It's a damn shame sitting there vacant.

tayto lover

DundalkDuffman wrote: »

Dunnes Stores on Park Street would fit the bill however they seem reluctant to lease it or sell it. It's a damn shame sitting there vacant.

I was told that the frozen foods giant Iceland wanted to lease it but Dunnes refused as it would be in competition with them.
Madness in my opinion.

MugMugs

Surely they're not just letting it sit there idle and refusing offers to fill it?

tayto lover

MugMugs wrote: »

Surely they're not just letting it sit there idle and refusing offers to fill it?

Looks like it or maybe that's the only offer they received.

MugMugs

tayto lover wrote: »

Looks like it or maybe that's the only offer they received.

Lunacy!

Probably done a lot of people a favour refusing Iceland though

Dunny

Pulse Pacemaker now gone aswell.

indiewindy

Its not unique to Dundalk to see the centre of the town in serious decline, the centre of Drogheda is fairly rundown too. It is not immigrants causing the problem, they are probably attracted there due to cheap rents and access to transport links. The wretched work done by the Council in traffic calming and bike lanes didnt help either. It take a long time to get to the centre of town. Penneys in long walk was always going to close. Dunnes have 3 stores in Dundalk and aldi and lidl 2 each. I cant see tesco closing down their long walk store anytime soon

10green bottles

DundalkDuffman wrote: »

Dunnes Stores on Park Street would fit the bill however they seem reluctant to lease it or sell it. It's a damn shame sitting there vacant.

Is that(Dunnes) site for sale or for lease?

nutts_77

It's sad but town centre has nothing to offer. New tesco's will take people away. New cinema will take people away. Is it time to start discussing whether town centre's should be mostly residential?

nutts_77

nutts_77 wrote: »

It's sad but town centre has nothing to offer. New tesco's will take people away. New cinema will take people away. Is it time to start discussing whether town centre's should be mostly residential?

I don't think they need to be more residential I don't think. To have large-scale development on greenfield sites (empty car parks are better than football pitches) then having bigger developments at the other end of the town is the problem.

10green bottles

The cinema in the town centre objected to the one in the retail park and then put planning in for a cinema at the Marshes !

dundalkfc10

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't think they need to be more residential I don't think. To have large-scale development on greenfield sites (empty car parks are better than football pitches) then having bigger developments at the other end of the town is the problem.

Get rid of more football pitches??? More Tennagers hanging around the streets, just what the town needs alright :mad:

blingrhino

10green bottles wrote: »

Is that(Dunnes) site for sale or for lease?

Either I'd say .
Park st now nearly a pub and takeaway Street.
Any where past boyds centre on clanbrassil st is like the Wild West with tumbleweeds.
Nearly as bad as drogheda ,3 centres all doing little or no business , 2 retail parks , the same and a main St. half empty or full of crappy shops .

Planners/ councils have sold their sole for extra rates revenues.

dundalkfc10

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Get rid of more football pitches??? More Tennagers hanging around the streets, just what the town needs alright :mad:

Sarcasm. Though I'm not sure how much better football pitches are for teenagers to be hanging around at 11pm. :P

dundalkfc10

Deleted User wrote: »

Sarcasm. Though I'm not sure how much better football pitches are for teenagers to be hanging around at 11pm. :P

Many football, soccer and Gaa have community centers attached to their dressing rooms with Youth Groups a lot of nights during the week, thus keeping a good number of kids off the streets

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Many football, soccer and Gaa have community centers attached to their dressing rooms with Youth Groups a lot of nights during the week, thus keeping a good number of kids off the streets

Football pitches are hardly the answer to the decay of the town centre though.

As an aside, a pitch was removed to build Carroll Village - a pitch that was locked up and unused for many years!

dundalkfc10

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Many football, soccer and Gaa have community centers attached to their dressing rooms with Youth Groups a lot of nights during the week, thus keeping a good number of kids off the streets

The one at Carroll Village (the one I was referring to) had none of those things.

10green bottles

Dunny wrote: »

Pulse Pacemaker now gone aswell.

And near neighbours News & Deli(which was also Dundalk's only Ticketmaster outlet) also closed over the weekend!

tayto lover

Deli Bites ? at the Park St / Anne St / Dublin St junctions also closed.

10green bottles

tayto lover wrote: »

Deli Bites ? at the Park St / Anne St / Dublin St junctions also closed.

Closed a few years now Tayto.
Funny enough there is a new Cafe opening there soon.

Howyahorse

What will happen the stock? Will it be greatly reduced or just sent to the marshes store?? Would spend an even bigger bomb in there if i know it's being reduced :D

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I can't see why the stock won't be transferred to the Marshes.

cargo

tayto lover wrote: »

Deli Bites ? at the Park St / Anne St / Dublin St junctions also closed.

10green bottles wrote: »

Closed a few years now Tayto.
Funny enough there is a new Cafe opening there soon.

TL, I think you got it mixed up with "The Morning Star" which was a few doors up from where Deli-Lites were. They closed the other day also although it seems to be re-open under a new name / banner when I passed yesterday evening.

As 10GB said there's also a cafe going into where the old Deli-Lites was. I heard Bella Tea Rooms *or some similar name) from Blackrock are opening a cafe in here.

tayto lover

cargo wrote: »

TL, I think you got it mixed up with "The Morning Star" which was a few doors up from where Deli-Lites were. They closed the other day also although it seems to be re-open under a new name / banner when I passed yesterday evening.

As 10GB said there's also a cafe going into where the old Deli-Lites was. I heard Bella Tea Rooms *or some similar name) from Blackrock are opening a cafe in here.

Yes I got mixed up.
There sure is a lot of cafes along that stretch now. They all can't make money surely.

Mrs W

Belles tearooms new place is Ruby's and it's where cafe Metz was in williamsons

10green bottles

Mrs W wrote: »

Belles tearooms new place is Ruby's and it's where cafe Metz was in williamsons

This is all getting a little confusing now

tayto lover

Saw people sitting on chairs outside News & Deli today.
Thought it was closed down.

KeithM89

tayto lover wrote: »

Saw people sitting on chairs outside News & Deli today.
Thought it was closed down.

Its back open just to sell tickets to yer man's gig.
http://talkofthetown.ie/2014/01/23/news-deli-to-reopen-on-thursday-for-garth-brooks-ticket-sales/

DundalkDuffman

10green bottles wrote: »

Is that(Dunnes) site for sale or for lease?

I know that representations were made by Park Street traders to Dunnes about doing something with the front of it for appearance purposes but were flatly turned down. It seems that it's not unique to Dundalk either, Wexford has a similar story. Once it's listed with an auctioneer(honestly or not) then there is no outlay to them.

http://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexfordpeople/news/dunnes-in-firing-line-over-old-premises-29914880.html