New Blanchardstown Shopping Center 2021 Updates?

ozmo

Anyone have any opinions on the new update to Blanchardstown Shopping Center?

To me...

* It looks too much darker now than it did before...
before it was all about the light and bright walls
- now it feels like the Ilac center - all darker walls, dark murals on walls, darker floors and ceiling.

* I miss already the water feature - was a nice place to sit as a meeting place when waiting for someone.

* And the signature long escalator is gone....replaced with one normal short one.

* The huge open space for Choirs and Christmas trees and Irish Dancing... is now a lift.
That could have been thought out more
- maybe a permanent stage area and build the lift into the wall
- if it was even really needed (there was one right there at the top of the long escalator already).

The new Red entrance is ok though... with the new donut shop...

What you think?

Before


Before - Open Area


The Plan


What it actually looks like today

IngazZagni

The centre is looking good and is being given a much needed face lift.
You have posted a night time photo with closed shops to compare with daytime photos so of course it looks darker. Downstairs they've done some clever things with roof lighting to make it much brighter.

The long travelator had to go. There were many safety incidents on it and it had to be manned by staff at all times. This setup is far more efficient.

Overall so far so good. Of course the key is what stores there are and that will be a massive struggle as we exit covid.

raheny red

I said before that the addition of the revolving doors was ridiculous. Since the shops reopened post covid they're not even in operation. On the plus side, Aldi & Art of Coffee are a great addition to the M&S end. It was kind of a forgotten part of the centre for years.

eviltwin

I really like it. I just hope they can find someone to take over the empty units and bring a bit of life back into it.

Larbre34

raheny red wrote: »

I said before that the addition of the revolving doors was ridiculous. Since the shops reopened post covid they're not even in operation. On the plus side, Aldi & Art of Coffee are a great addition to the M&S end. It was kind of a forgotten part of the centre for years.

Both are getting a lot of business from me. Although since all the other shops reopened, getting parking is a bit of an issue. And there aren't nearly enough bays to return an Aldi spec trolley.

I don't know why they don't just have one Centre branded trolley instead of about 6 different types

Nolimits

Larbre34 wrote: »

Both are getting a lot of business from me. Although since all the other shops reopened, getting parking is a bit of an issue. And there aren't nearly enough bays to return an Aldi spec trolley.

I don't know why they don't just have one Centre branded trolley instead of about 6 different types

They did used to have shopping centre branded trolleys. The center was **** at maintaining them. Used to be constant complaints so the shops got in their own.

Edit. The starred out word is another word for poop

Zaph

IngazZagni wrote: »

The long travelator had to go. There were many safety incidents on it and it had to be manned by staff at all times. This setup is far more efficient.

The new setup is definitely better than having to pay someone who is bored out of their head just to watch people coming up a travelator. But I could never understand how there were so many safety issues with it - how feckin' stupid do you have to be that you can't get on and off a simple moving ramp without maiming yourself?

Larbre34

Nolimits wrote: »

They did used to have shopping centre branded trolleys. The center was **** at maintaining them. Used to be constant complaints so the shops got in their own.

Edit. The starred out word is another word for poop

Yeah I remember it now that you say it. You'd think for the management of a massive retail complex, maintaining a few flippin trollies would not be complicated.

Phil.x

The old long escalator, water feature and large open space the photo above look so good.

ongarboy

The long escalator or travelator was there for trollies when Roches Stores had a supermarket adjacent. As most shoppers using trollies now would just use the Dunnes carpark or more recently the one next to Aldi, the travelator which takes up lots of space was obsolete for that purpose. I'm sure wheelchair users or those with buggies will miss it but the addition of new lifts will address that.

I like the new look and prefer the slightly darker ambience. I felt the old top floor was too glaring and hot on bright sunny summer days with all the glass.

On a separate note, I read in the Sunday Times this morning that Zara are going to occupy the entire top floor of old Debenhams. That will make it a huge store! Same article said Sostrene & Grene left over a rent dispute with the centre landlords.

SimonTemplar

I was on that travelator numerous times and it never felt any different to any other travelator or escalator in big department stores although I did notice there was always someone at the top. Was there something about it that made it more dangerous than usual?

ongarite

ongarboy wrote: »

On a separate note, I read in the Sunday Times this morning that Zara are going to occupy the entire top floor of old Debenhams. That will make it a huge store! Same article said Sostrene & Grene left over a rent dispute with the centre landlords.

I think Dunnes own all those units on the ground floor near their store.
Have heard bad things about them as a landlord.

TheValeyard

The loss of the long travelator is creating queues for lifts for people with trollies and buggies. Seems a bit silly to get rid of it. But suppose it saves paying to have a staff member there at all times.

miamee

I think the idea is that the exttra set of lifts being built in that same space should take the trolkies and buggies but they probbly should have been done more closely together - covid probably scuppered some of the plans.

Larbre34

TheValeyard wrote: »

The loss of the long travelator is creating queues for lifts for people with trollies and buggies. Seems a bit silly to get rid of it. But suppose it saves paying to have a staff member there at all times.

What they spent replacing it could have paid for 4 attendants for about 10 years!

Why did they need staff there anyway, could they not have put in cordons?

TheValeyard

Larbre34 wrote: »

What they spent replacing it could have paid for 4 attendants for about 10 years!

Why did they need staff there anyway, could they not have put in cordons?

I think there was a lawsuit a few years back

Larbre34

TheValeyard wrote: »

I think there was a lawsuit a few years back

I should've known. Did someone get slightly inconvenienced?

L1011

Larbre34 wrote: »

What they spent replacing it could have paid for 4 attendants for about 10 years!

Why did they need staff there anyway, could they not have put in cordons?

They were watching for people hanging over the sides or getting in to difficulty, not just crowd control.

There was a death in Dunnes ~18 years ago which started the staff watch.

Hurrache

I don't think so, there was always someone at the top of the travelator during busy hours for as long as I remember, before that death anyway.

Larbre34

I do remember that incident, but considering there are escalators in many parts of the Centre, removing the travelator and not just securing its edges seems like a massive overreaction

Pat Dunne

Taking out the Travelator and Fountain, results in more retail space, thus more money.
It’s all about the bottom line.

DoozerT6

I thought the staff members main job was to help pull heavy trollies off the travelator at the top so there wouldn't be a pile-up of people behind if a trolley got stuck on the edge at the top and there was a delay in pressing the emergency stop button.

L1011

I know its Westend not Blanch, but *all* GAP stores are closing. Initially they said they'd close some stores and there was discussion on a thread I can't find it.

https://news.sky.com/story/gap-to-close-all-stores-across-uk-and-ireland-and-move-online-only-12345940

miamee

When we were in there recently the woman behind the till told us that they were probably going to be closing they were just waiting to hear for definite. Sad for the staff, they've had a crap year as it is with closures.

Daeltaja

Shame that another business is closing. Gap though, not really surprised as I never see anyone wearing their clothes anymore.

ongarboy

New Gino Gelato kiosk on upper mall in front of Jump Juice. Probably a better location than their lower mall unit.

Daeltaja

Nice to see the roof cracked and leaking already at the Dunnes entrance!

raheny red

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117619243#Comment_117619243

The very same happened at the Aldi entrance shortly after opening.

jeffk

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117626360#Comment_117626360

Plus the wheelchair access door constantly broken

Tzardine

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117619243#Comment_117619243

These things happen with new builds and refurbishments. The contractors will quickly resolve it.

Vicxas

Sad to see the fountain and large travelator go, but i think we need to be more concerned with how they're going to fill the Debenhams store. Thats a massive lot and makes the shopping center look like a ghost mall.

AndrewJRenko

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117626387#Comment_117626387

What kind of gobsh1te designed an entrance that required a special wheelchair access door? Entrances should be designed to accommodate everybody.

jeffk

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117626744#Comment_117626744

Doesn't make sense, the new fancy carousel doors that now are permanently locked/opened (with BIG enter and exit signs that people cant see)

AndrewJRenko

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117629593#Comment_117629593

Similar at Nutgrove, where they added on fancy glass porches to the main entrances a couple of years back, but now the side entrances on those porches are permanently closed, with crap signage.

miamee

I noticed at the weekend that the Ben & Jerry's ice-cream counter (which never re-opened) is now gone completely.

ongarboy

EZ Living opening a store where Dorothy Perkins used to be on upper mall next to Dunnes. They had something similar a couple of years ago too as well as their main store in the retail park.

Also looks like the new JD Sports on lower mall could open any day as it seemed like finishing touches were being applied when I walked by today.

I actually think the lower mall looks brighter these days. Not sure is that due to more natural or artificial lighting. I like all the shopping centre improvements so far.

ongarboy

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117626621#Comment_117626621

A planning application was put into Fingal to subdivide Debenhams so maybe they already have tenants earmarked for them?

Larbre34

Zara is taking most or all of the upstairs Debenham unit anyway.

miamee

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117639723#Comment_117639723

Oh interesting, that's good to know. It's always busy in there. I wonder if H&M would take some of the space too their shop is kinda small compared to say Liffey Valley and there is often a queue outside it these days.

miamee

The EZ Living at the old Dorothy Perkins unit is now open as is the new JD Sports on the lower level. Hollister and Gilly Hicks look almost ready to open upstairs too.

LorelaiG

Hollister and Gilly Hicks are now open too.

jeffk

Be handy for those missing Evan's.. They usually have small men's section

miamee

What unit is that to be in jeff?

jeffk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117716672#Comment_117716672

Across from Tiger I think River Island is beside it, the Liverpool shop at Christmas was in it

JupiterKid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117698181#Comment_117698181

Whilst it's great to see that unit now occupied by EZ Living, does anyone else find it a bit strange that a furniture store would opt to open in the Centre itself rather than in one of the surrounding retail parks, which I thought for bulky goods would make more sense?

I really don't like the revamped Yellow entrance nor the new logo for the shopping centre - both look very dated and second rate.

ongarboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117720633#Comment_117720633

It does have a store in the Currys/DFS retail park to the rear also. I'd imagine it's just a pop up store to showcase some of their products and less bulky items. They had one a couple of years back too.

Pat Dunne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117716265#Comment_117716265

Surely, they’d have a “Large” men’s section? 😉

Nolimits

Anyone heard any more about Bunsen opening? Seems to be taking a long time.

miamee

I haven't heard anything but it doesn't look like any work has started on it yet at all.

Nijmegen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117721174#Comment_117721174

EZ Living takes pop up opportunities regularly in the Blanch center. They had a Christmas shop down beside Kays Kitchen last year (that barely got to open for Christmas, as it happened!).

miamee

According to Facebook, Mango are opening their new unit this morning. It's upstairs next to Hollister as far as I remember.

https://www.facebook.com/blanchardstowncentre/posts/4984042681622518