Pretty f'kin corrupt. Years of traffic disruption endured by those who had to commute in and out of the city for work and the end result is a vacant eye sore of a building. The inside is pretty nice, imo but f*ck me the outside adds nothing to the area. If the Government gets off its arse and changes the time constraints on alcohol like was suggested ages ago, that could be a good spot for more live events than they currently host. Would be very cool to go to a Superbowl Party there.
That was listed up for lease in October.
Weirdly Cross Street would not be closed off now and pedestrianised if this did not occur. When Palas Cinema was been built and they needed the road space outside it for construction there was a absolute massive reduction in car traffic rat running on Cross Street. It was so bizarre that pedestrians did not have the right away from Quay St to High St only a decade ago. City Council eventually put in a Zebra crossing and repented for the evil of their ways, but it all started inadvertently with the elimination of the car rat running via Flood Street and Cross Street when the Palas was been built
Wasn't even much of a rat run considering you were usually held up at the cross walk for a few minutes and then blocked in by Taxis by the Supermacs followed by traffic heading towards Abbeygate St. The bigger traffic disruption was those who had to travel by the docks. Particularly in the high seasons when people who weren't familiar with the area would inevitably need to switch lanes.
They dropped 8.6 million of taxpayers money into it and then leased it for 25 years for just 1 Euro
So have the operators no lease/ rent to pay on the building? And still can’t make it as a viable business?
And is now turning into a real estate office.
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122980766#Comment_122980766
Correct, Fair deal agent. Must be shaking things up a bit...
They spent 1.6 million kitting it out but yes no rent
makes the nationals
Scandalous that the council voted to hike rates by 6pc. They're idiots.
Commercial rents are way too high in Galway.
Can you elaborate?
It's a free and open market. Rents will adjust to the current market.
Commercial rents are negotiated every 3-5 years - up and down.
Even outside rent reviews, rents can be abated.
As there are very few prime vacancies, that would suggest rents are at market level.
They need the rates and taxes to pay for their fancy new office.
Ahh, there are actually a lot of vacancies. And increasing numbers of retail units are being converted to office or residential use. Retail has changed a lot. And new bakeries have products which show how irrelevant Goysa is now.
A lot of Galway's commercial real estate is being bought by the same old guard. Better for them to keep rates high even if it leads to vacancies as the property value will decrease if the rates decline too much.
What retail units have been converted if you don't mind?
I can only think of conboys in woodquay but I'm sure there's others once it's not a total change of purpose
Very few prime vacancies.
You will always get vacancies in secondary areas in every city.
The biggest issue is staff costs and for smaller businesses, economy of scale is an issue.
Certainly it would be great if this years rates rebate for smaller businesses was repeated (50% rebate and only applied to small business)
16 Dec - Pat McDonagh told Breakfast Business he has seen five restaurants and cafés close in the last fortnight in Galway. https://www.newstalk.com/news/supermacs-boss-fears-for-businesses-with-costs-rising-across-the-board-2117531
Is this not the same every year, as rent renewal leases arise?
Restaurants have been coming and going since the beginning of the licenced premises concept
Losing a bakery but soon to gain another bakery and cafe.
Is it that 'upmarket' patisserie? https://bread41.ie/about/#aboutus
Yes, looks like it. Will do well id say.
Great news if it gets approval, a second proper artisanal bakery to compete with Magpie.
Their Instagram looks bloody delicious.... Galway's not dieing yet
Former newsagent in Dominick Street. Former laundry in Prospect hill. Both complete. And I'm sure there are others I've not spotted.
Planning apps up to do similar in Des Kavanagh Electrical, and also the back of Griffins bakery in Middle St: this was fitted out as new shops, but they've never tenanted.
In a similar vein, the former bike shop in the Cornstore is now an insurance broker, and a shop in Corrib Court shopping centre is an Axa office. And the former GoBus office (and before that a restaurant) in Bothar Brendain Úi Eithir now a social care agency office. All current tenants were previously in much more city-fringe location.
And someone said few prime vacancies? Take a stroll around Edward Square / Treasure Chest / Una Taffe's shop. And Mainguard St with the former fishing shop and butcher shop. Middle St is just one short step back from Shop St: former Welfare office has been empty for years. Former Charcoal Grill and CutThroat (granted this one is recent)
I love the idea of the new precinct around Ceannt Station. But totally doubt that the retail part will take off (unless they pivot to an inner city Lidl ... cue the pearl clutching at that!!!) just because there's so much contraction as retail has moved online.
Ever try the French bakery spun off from Rogue in Terryland? Lovely stuff. Also Bakebox got new signage for anyone who hasn't managed to find it yet.
C'est la Vie is grand, a step down from Petit Delice to my mind but an option. Bakebox is poor enough really, I don't consider it if I need baked goods.
The coffee in C'est la Vie is very good. I prefer it to Petit Delice on that score.
A much smaller range of pastries but I think comparable in quality.
