The Marshes Shopping Centre in Dundalk.

Bluetonic

Due to open on November 3rd.

dundalk cailin

lookin forward to it, dundalk needs it

Bluetonic

Nice article about it in the commercial property section of the Irish Times today, no online version as far as I know.

dundalk cailin

dont have access to irish papers at the min, but ill b home round halloween to have a wee look!

how does it look?

zAbbo

Looks big, tis shuge.

eamoss

Commercialproperty Wed, Oct 12, 05



€150 million Dundalk shopping centre to open in November
Jack Fagan




ShoppingCentres: A third shopping centre is to open in Dundalk on November 3rd.

The Marshes shopping centre, which is expected to have an investment value of €150 million, will introduce a range of high profile multiples which are moving into the town for the first time.

The 37,160sq m (400,000sq ft) centre is being funded by a group of Northern Ireland businessmen which bought the site from a consortium of Fyffes and Lagan Developments.

Dunnes Stores with 9,290sq m (100,000sq ft) and Penneys with 6,503sq m (70,000sq ft) will be the anchor tenants in the centre which will also have about 40 retail units, a foodcourt, petrol filling station and drive-through restaurant. The developers are understood to have secured around €31 million for the two anchor stores. The centre will have 1,350 car-parking spaces.

Zone A rents will be in the region of €1,290 per sq m (€120 per sq ft), according to Criona Collins of letting agents BTW Shiells. The smallest shops are renting at up to €968 per sq m (€90 per sq ft) while larger units are making half that figure. About 80 per cent of the retail space has already been allocated and a further 10 per cent is awaiting legal ratification.

Tenants already committed include River Island, A Wear, Easons, Virgin, Boots, Sasha, New Look, Lifestyle Sports, Claire's Accessories, Barratt, Costa Coffee, O'Brien's Sandwich Bar, Exhibit, Diamond Jewellers, McArdle Butchers, Pulse, Heaven and Hallmark.

The success in attracting so many multiples, particularly fashion retailers, stems from the shortage of suitable units in the town up to now.

Keith Shiells of the letting agent says that the retail market in Dundalk was currently quite fragmented and, for that reason, the Marshes would help to consolidate the town centre and prevent leakage of shoppers to places like Newry and Drogheda.

He believed the new centre would prove a major economic boost to the town and create 1,000 new jobs. Drogheda is also to get a new shopping centre in the run up to Christmas when Scotch Hall opens in the docklands.

The owners of the new Dundalk centre believe that shoppers will be impressed by the style and finish, particularly the double height shop fronts and the glazed domes over three central courts connecting to the malls.

The exterior has been designed as a streetscape linked by a new high street to the Ramparts Road. The centre has several different architectural styles, including feature towers, dormers, copulas and clocks reflecting Dundalk's period architecture. The Marshes links into the town centre through a plaza with external shops fronting Ramparts Road.

The opening of the new complex will undoubtedly have long term implications for the two other main shopping centres in Dundalk. The first one, built by Monarch Properties almost 30 years ago and now owned by Tesco, is due to be redeveloped. The second centre, the Long Walk, which opened about eight years ago, suffers from a poor tenant mix.

The decision by Penneys to move from the Long Walk to the Marshes will be a particularly severe blow to the older centre. Dunnes currently trades out of two supermarkets in Dundalk, one along the main street and the other at Ard Esmund [Edit: can no one spell Árd Éasmuinn(only reason I know how to spell it cos I live there)]. The developers of The Marshes own several other shopping centres in Northern Ireland, including the Abbey centre and Forest Side in Belfast, and Foyleside in Derry.



© The Irish Times

Here are some photos of it a few months ago:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Dublin1/Marshes4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Dublin1/Marshes2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Dublin1/Marshes3.jpg

They also have a website but its not open www.themarshesshopping.com

Hub

Cool!

Everyone can hang around texting each other!

DMC

I'll repost this as it went missing when the upgrade took place.....

I went into the Dundalk Shopping Centre on the Dublin Road for the first time in 8 years since I lived there, and I couldnt believe how delapidated the place has become. I had to call into Tesco after going to Newry, and I was shocked to see a lot of shops now closed, a great newsagents now gone, nothing open upstairs etc.

Is this because of the Newry factor? And if it is, shouldnt this affect the new shopping centre??

20 Times 20 Times

DMC wrote:

I'll repost this as it went missing when the upgrade took place.....

I went into the Dundalk Shopping Centre on the Dublin Road for the first time in 8 years since I lived there, and I couldnt believe how delapidated the place has become. I had to call into Tesco after going to Newry, and I was shocked to see a lot of shops now closed, a great newsagents now gone, nothing open upstairs etc.

Is this because of the Newry factor? And if it is, shouldnt this affect the new shopping centre??

Well really just ask yourself the question.Why did you not go to it for eight years? The reason there is noting in the shopping center lets be honest here.The next place to close down will be cd world , especially with virgin and hmv coming to the marshes.the dundalk shopping center is finished.

sandyg

I heard that they were going to knock down the old shopping centre when the new one opens and revamp the whole area and even get rid of the bridge as you enter the town and change the road layout??

dundalk cailin

yea i heard that they were gonna put a roundabout there at the hill

Dan_B

the reason why all the shops are closed in the old dsc is cos tescos are buying all the leases and leaving the units empty.
Once everyone is out, as someone already said, they are knocking it.

**Timbuk2**

yeh, they are going to make a roundabout at the hill. You will be able to go straight on into town, or take a right to come to the Alphonsous Rd-Avenue Rd new road ao you will be able to go to the Marshes SC that way. You will be able to go left to the M1 (The new Dundalk Western Bypass). (Note: These directions are given as if you were coming from the south and goin into town)

eamoss

My dad got an invite to the opening to it and on the front it has a view of what it will look like inside and it reminds me of the ButterCrain in Newry.

EDIT:
Here is an image of it:
http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image28sg.jpg

dundalk cailin

think of the buttercrane in newry and the quays compared to the longwalk and old sc!!

**Timbuk2**

Dat pic looks loads like da buttercrane.

Does anybody know whether the Duness Stores coming in is goin to be just clothes or is it goin to be clothes and groceries.

I know that Dunnes Stores have bought a unit which has a mezzanine and Penny's have bought a two story one.

bounty_hunter

eamoss wrote:

Here are some photos of it a few months ago:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Dublin1/Marshes4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Dublin1/Marshes2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Dublin1/Marshes3.jpg

Looks pretty cool to me.

**Timbuk2**

Does anybody know whether Dunnes Stores is goin to hav groceries in it or just clothes???????

bounty_hunter

You already said that...

Joaqattack

Well being a past Dunnes employee if they have a shop with a mezzanine I expect it is a dual store - i.e grocery & drapery. A flagship store also I expect.

**Timbuk2**

Joaqattack wrote:

Well being a past Dunnes employee if they have a shop with a mezzanine I expect it is a dual store - i.e grocery & drapery. A flagship store also I expect.

Yeh, I guess. I heard that they are closing down the Ard Esmund store and all its employees are moving to the Marshes.

Dr. Dre

eamoss wrote:

....it reminds me of the ButterCrain[sic] in Newry.
.

Yes Eamo, but will it have the same quality of girlies! - Alas, I fear not

dundalk cailin

Dr. Dre wrote:

Yes Eamo, but will it have the same quality of girlies! - Alas, I fear not

hey hope you are not slating the females of this town??

Dundalk Online

The Dunnes Stores in The Marshes will be the Flagship store meaning it is the biggest one of all, it will have a clothes, homeware (possibly) and grocery section.

Noobsaibot21

Does anyone know how to get there from The Dundalk Train Station? Is it walkable IE ten to twenty minutes?
I will be out in the Virgin tomorrow to do work for Thursday's apparent opening on behalf of Virgin Dundrum in Dublin.
Anyone know?
Many thanks,
Noobsaibot21

20 Times 20 Times

its a 10-15 min walk.

come out of the train station , turn left , walk straight till you get into town then ask anyone.

Or you can ring a taxi at the train station 0429377777

Noobsaibot21

If i give you this link, would you be able to image host it with a nice big red dot?

http://www.dkit.ie/images/website/Dundalk-town.gif

Any arcades around?
Many Thanks,
Noobsaibot21

dundalk cailin

its on the ramparts road, behind the library. i pm'd u details

20 Times 20 Times

dont need to do that , look at the libary its behind the libary!

Noobsaibot21

Oh right. That bit where it says town centre
Many Thanks Guys (and gals?)
Does the Centre look fit enough to open on Thursday? We were told we were opening on Thursday at eleven but someone else said the place is mainly still a building site...
Oh well, Guess i'll find out tomorrow.
Reagrds,
Noobsaibot21

dundalk cailin

couldnt tell ya tbh havent been down that way!

(PS cailin indicates girl)

Noobsaibot21

Is Cailin Irish? Damn my Dublin Irish knowledge.
Anyway,
Thanks again
Noobsaibot21

dundalk cailin

yup cailin is the irish for girl (see you learn something new every day!!) well for all i knew u might not be irish or have studeid irish so i was pointin it out!! dont get the impression that im big on the irish lingo, just thought it was cute!

foamcutter

someone else said the place is mainly still a building site...

They weren't wrong, at lunchtime it was a blur of activity. Laying tarmac, putting up signs etc etc and that was just the outside.

I couldn't believe it when the security said it was opening tomorrow. Fair play to them if they get it all sorted out but l just couldn't see it happening..........well not all of it.

Bluetonic

Well is it open?

Come on who is gonig to be the first to give us all a report!

20 Times 20 Times

Bluetonic wrote:

Well is it open?

Come on who is gonig to be the first to give us all a report!

Yeah its open ,but the guys are still working on it looks great on the outside havent been in it yet.

Dr. Dre

Rumour has it that it aint free parking either - it's been subbed out to a third party. Charges of €1.50-€2 have been mentioned.

20 Times 20 Times

Dr. Dre wrote:

Rumour has it that it aint free parking either - it's been subbed out to a third party. Charges of €1.50-€2 have been mentioned.

I actually went into it today to fetch a set of keys and i was infact advised that i would have to pay to park , now i obviously didnt because i was only a few mins in and out.

In fairness pay parking inn't a big surprise because at the end of the day the town is pay parking and the shopping center is in the town basically.

Dr. Dre

Yeah I suppose if you think about it, it's not a great a surprise.

dundalk cailin

so my first thoughts..there was more shops open than i expected, penneys, dunnes, boots, awear, barratts, virgin, hallmark..the place wasnt fully ready as we knew, which is a pity cos its quite impressive! the traffic lights were up, but the gardai had to regulate traffic. penneys and dunnes are huge. think there's a food court upstairs but that wasnt open either. anyone else been in?

bounty_hunter

I actually completely forgot about this. Might check it out today.

eamoss

Was in it today, Its very nice & very big was loads of people in it. Sad about most shops not being open!:(

Was it just me or was all the good looking women out?

Here is a photo of it:
http://img346.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image0039no.jpg

cmcquaid

i'm a labourer at the marshes and i was surprised that it looks so well now compared to last week although we had to work 24 hours straight from 8 yesterday morning to 8 this morning. tiles were still being put down at midnight last night and walls being painted with huge heaters used to speed up the drying time. it wont be fully completed until christmas or janurary. did anyone else notice that the place is full of leaks. many mornings we would come into work and there would be huge puddles around. to see some of the leaks look up at the ceiling about 20 foot inside the entrance facing the rampards

**Timbuk2**

I noticed no leaks. It looks unfinished on the outside but I think the inside looks grand.

Most of the shops were open, but some weren't.

I thought Dunnes Stores was supposed to be a mezzanine store. It is only 1 floor and no bigger (possibly smaller) than Ard Esmund one???

cmcquaid

look where i told you and you will see the damp patches on the ceiling there is also some leaks in the toilets upstairs and in the food court but obviously thats not open yet

Deflector

Eamoss I thank you for using my Dundalk photographs without either a credit nor link to the host page - I trust with my latest selection you may choose to 'borrow', you will see fit to attribute them to me, or at the very least www.archiseek.com, where one will also find a wealth of information relating to the architecture of Dundalk town.

Thank you.


As for the The Marshes, it is the biggest pile of pastiche trash to be built in these islands since 1980.

Real living 18th century heritage is destroyed on Earl Street for a ghastly 'contemporary' granite-clad concoction on the R Q O'Neill site instead of a sensitive rebuild, whilst a false 'traditional' heritage is generated with Queen Anne, Georgiana, Victoriana, Edwardiana and everything in between tacked onto a giant metal box out at the The Marshes - the very place where contemporary design could have had a free reign.

Encapsulates modern Ireland to a tee.

Dr. Dre

GrahamH wrote:

blah blah blah

Well, what a wonderful introduction to the forums you've made :rolleyes:
So they were your camera phone pics that Eamo used?

GrahamH wrote:

As for the The Marshes, it is the biggest pile of pastiche trash to be built in these islands since 1980

Really? What makes it so different than A N Other generic shopping mall/centre? i.e. Blanchardstown, Tallaght et al. (I'm not taking the p**s either)

eamoss

GrahamH wrote:

Eamoss I thank you for using my Dundalk photographs without either a credit nor link to the host page - I trust with my latest selection you may choose to 'borrow', you will see fit to attribute them to me, or at the very least www.archiseek.com, where one will also find a wealth of information relating to the architecture of Dundalk town.

Sorry Graham, I didn’t even think about giving you credit or tell people where I got the photos from because I do when I copy text from websites. In future I wont make that mistake again. I was only trying to show people what it looked like because most of them would not know about www.archiseek.com. This might sound a harsh but if you are so worried about people using your photos you should have a '©Graham Hickey' on the bottom of your photos, This is what I do on my photos so if people use them they will have to ask me to send them the photo with out my name on it or when they have it up it has my name on it e.g. Here & Here. Call me sad if you want but I feel proud when I see my photos used on other sites.


EDIT::
From El Paso Times
SUPERQUINN DUNDALK
As reported by El Paso Time some months ago Superquinn are to close their Dundalk store in the very near future. More details to follow.......
posted by Editor at 10:52 AM

dundalk cailin

eamoss wrote:

EDIT::
From El Paso Times
SUPERQUINN DUNDALK
As reported by El Paso Time some months ago Superquinn are to close their Dundalk store in the very near future. More details to follow.......
posted by Editor at 10:52 AM

i heard they were givin it a year, and if it doesnt pick up, its being sold

Deflector

No problem eamoss - just it's standard practice where I'm from as it were (archiseek)
As you are evidently conscious of copyright by putting your name on your images, you'll know how it's courteous if nothing else to acknowledge other people's work, whatever about accreditation for copyright.
I don't like putting a text on them simply because it spoils images . Used in the context of the host page, it isn't required.


That's interesting about Superquinn, though by no means surprising. Yet another blow for that corner of the town, an area that has frankly going down the tubes over the past 5 years. That whole Carroll Village scheme was never going to be a success - from the moment it opend this was apparent.
The Marshes is only going to compound this decline.
Combined with the Long Walk, it's a sorry waste of development all round.

gazbstn

it's probably only a matter of time before Superquinn closes. However whatever happened to the extension they submitted for the carroll village awhile ago? were they applied for a second floor and multipe story car park, probably got shot down by the council.

anyways once Tesco open their development for the old SC it's only a matter of time before other supermarkets close in the town.

The whole Long Walk development was a disaster from the start, no doubt it'll be gone in a few years with some apartment development -- just what Dundalk needs more off.

BTW how's the traffic around the Marshes ? Glad to see they built a road at the back of it to help with congestion; something sensible from the council making it a prerequisite for the developers to construct and pay for, though I'm sure the Pay Parking at the center will off shoot that cost in no time.