Ferrybank Shopping Centre - Again

Jambo · 21-07-2011 12:46pm #1

Mods feel free to merge but I think this piece of new merits a new thread.

According to the Kilkenny People - opening may not be far away Ferrybank

Published on Wednesday 20 July 2011 16:20

AFTER nearly ten years of lying idle, the Ferrybank Centre in south Kilkenny looks set to open its doors.
At a meeting of Kilkenny County Council the County Manager, Joe Crockett told councillors that he had learned that the long running dispute between the anchor tenant and the developer had been settled.
The developer of the Ferrybank Centre, Deerland Construction, applied to the council for a designation as a “gateway suburban centre”. The developer claimed that the lack of designation was affecting the operation of the centre.
Senior planner at Kilkenny County Council, Denis Malone told the county councillors that in the full submission to the council the developer had stated that the centre would open soon.
Cllr Malcolm Noonan (Green) questioned why the council should change the designation of the centre if the developer already had his building and the dispute with the anchor tenant had been settled and the centre is about to open.
Cllr Cora Long (Fianna Fail) said that she didn’t care what designation was given to the centre so long as it was opened.
“I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t get the centre open. I hope it comes to a good outcome and this will be the end of it,” she said.
Submissions
In the developers submissions to the council, Deerland construction had sought that Kilkenny County Council, Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council adopt a joint retail strategy. Cllr Tomás Breathnach (Labour) called on the council to write to the Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan and request that the other two councils engage in the creation of a joint retail strategy for the area.
“It is unfair that a Joint Retail Strategy hasn’t been put in place. The process is going on too long. If their isn’t engagement from the other two councils, can I ask that we write to the minister,” he said.

Personally I hope this is not just another smoke screen and hopefully there will be some movement with a potential jobs boost for Ferrybank some time soon, with any luck all in time for christmas

ziedth · 21-07-2011 12:51pm

Who are they gonna get as an Anchor tennant though? I have heard various versions of the craic before.

I'd love to see it open. It's a serious waste. I just can't see it though.

Bards · 21-07-2011 1:30pm

I just love this bit

"In the developers submissions to the council, Deerland construction had sought that Kilkenny County Council, Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council adopt a joint retail strategy. Cllr Tomás Breathnach (Labour) called on the council to write to the Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan and request that the other two councils engage in the creation of a joint retail strategy for the area.
“It is unfair that a Joint Retail Strategy hasn’t been put in place. The process is going on too long. If their isn’t engagement from the other two councils, can I ask that we write to the minister,” he said."

If a Joint Retail Strategy was put in place before this was built it would never have been allowed

thomasm · 21-07-2011 1:33pm

Hopefully this is true

wellboytoo · 21-07-2011 1:38pm

A joint retail strategy .....wtf Waterford City Council and Waterford Chamber of Commerce objected to KK council on its scale etc and were ignored by KK council, now they want them on board???
I hope KK council are spending all the rates they are getting for this wonderful facility wisely.
Maybe they should turn part of it into a new secondary school that is far more likely to get the doors open.

daenerysstormborn3 · 21-07-2011 7:14pm

Dunnes Stores as the anchor apparently.

bkehoe · 21-07-2011 7:19pm

AFTER nearly ten years of lying idle

Have I been in hibernation for the last 8 years?

dayshah · 21-07-2011 7:51pm

I don't think this place should have gotten planning permission, just like TK Maxx.

However, TK Maxx had a much better location. If you were travelling from somewhere like the industrial estate to the Dunmore Rd, you could nip into TK Maxx on the way home. Or if you lived near Lismore park it was handy enough if you had a car.

The advantages of these places to consumers is you avoid the city centre. To get to this Ferrybank place you have to drive through the centre, and then drive some more, to get there. It was destined to fail.

I wonder what it could be used for? Underground rave?

Trick of the Tail · 21-07-2011 7:51pm

KK CoCo are taking me to court for having an aerial mounted on the gable end of my house.

That's the sort of thing they usefully spend their money on.

A.

Paddy@CIRL · 21-07-2011 8:38pm

dayshah wrote: »

The advantages of these places to consumers is you avoid the city centre. To get to this Ferrybank place you have to drive through the centre, and then drive some more, to get there. It was destined to fail.

I wonder what it could be used for? Underground rave?

I certainly don't have to drive through the city centre to get to Ferrybank, nor does anyone living north, east or west of the city have to.

dayshah · 21-07-2011 9:17pm

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

I certainly don't have to drive through the city centre to get to Ferrybank, nor does anyone living north, east or west of the city have to.

Isn't this thing even bigger than City Square? What the population north of the Suir compared to south?

The fact that it is still empty speaks for itself.

Paddy@CIRL · 21-07-2011 9:47pm

dayshah wrote: »

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

I certainly don't have to drive through the city centre to get to Ferrybank, nor does anyone living north, east or west of the city have to.

Isn't this thing even bigger than City Square? What the population north of the Suir compared to south?

The fact that it is still empty speaks for itself.

Of course it's empty, it hasn't opened yet! And that's not because of where it is, it's because a long and drawn out court case was only concluded (out of court) today.

There's certainly a large catch area outside of Ferrybank that this centre should attract (Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford etc.) so there's no reason it shouldn't work.

Bards · 21-07-2011 10:10pm

dayshah wrote: »

Isn't this thing even bigger than City Square? What the population north of the Suir compared to south?

The fact that it is still empty speaks for itself.

Bigger than city square, hypermarket and lisduggan put together, it should be flattened, if this opens we can kiss goodbye to the KRM development in the city centre

mike65 · 21-07-2011 10:26pm

alinton wrote: »

KK CoCo are taking me to court for having an aerial mounted on the gable end of my house.

That's the sort of thing they usefully spend their money on.

A.

Can't blame them really

As for who'll use it and its impact sawf of the river, unless its got Marks and Sparks I don't imagine any great rush to cross the bridge.

Trick of the Tail · 21-07-2011 11:05pm

Thats not what the problem is. That structure is long gone!

decies · 22-07-2011 8:01am

More bad news for city centre so, maybe the bicyled one will object to it?

dayshah · 22-07-2011 8:30am

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Of course it's empty, it hasn't opened yet! And that's not because of where it is, it's because a long and drawn out court case was only concluded (out of court) today.

But I thought that court case was because Dunnes no longer want to go in there?

wellboytoo · 22-07-2011 8:43am

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Of course it's empty, it hasn't opened yet! And that's not because of where it is, it's because a long and drawn out court case was only concluded (out of court) today.

There's certainly a large catch area outside of Ferrybank that this centre should attract (Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford etc.) so there's no reason it shouldn't work.

Way to simplistic an answer, it is toooo BIG for the area it is built in, all models for shopping etc, show that this area needed and needs comparison shopping,ie a centre like superquinn on the Tramore road , a good size supermarket with a half dozen shops hanging off it, not a building that would be too big in the centre of Waterford never mind a small village next to a small city.
Now that the fog of Celtic Tiger madness has cleared from most eyes that is obvious, go over walk around it and you will realise that the footfall that a monster like this needs just to pay its overhead does not exist in the centre of Waterford never mind Ferrybank.

Sully · 22-07-2011 1:46pm

alinton wrote: »

Thats not what the problem is. That structure is long gone!

LOL is that what they objected to?!

moonboy52 · 22-07-2011 4:22pm

Dunnes Stores as the anchor tenant. Bah!

I want M&S with the likes of GAME and HMV etc.

dayshah · 22-07-2011 4:31pm

moonboy52 wrote: »

Dunnes Stores as the anchor tenant. Bah!

I want M&S with the likes of GAME and HMV etc.

Yeah, but lets get them in the city rather than 'South Kilkenny'.

moonboy52 · 22-07-2011 4:45pm

dayshah wrote: »

Yeah, but lets get them in the city rather than 'South Kilkenny'.

If getting those big names means walking a few yards over the bridge, then so be it.

I did not even know that area was in South Kilkenny and to be blunt i do not care.

dayshah · 22-07-2011 5:09pm

moonboy52 wrote: »

If getting those big names means walking a few yards over the bridge, then so be it.

I did not even know that area was in South Kilkenny and to be blunt i do not care.

Ferrybank might gain those names, but what will the city centre lose? It will certainly lose viability as a retail destination. The place is bigger than City Square for feck sake.

This town ain't big enough for the two of us, pilgrim.

KingLoser · 22-07-2011 5:14pm

dayshah wrote: »

This town ain't big enough for the two of us, pilgrim.

sure it is. that's the free market right?

wcc will just have to step up it's game if it wants to remain viable.

dayshah · 22-07-2011 5:23pm

KingLoser wrote: »

sure it is. that's the free market right?

wcc will just have to step up it's game if it wants to remain viable.

Yes it is, but thankfully I've learned something from our free market property bubble. We have planning guidelines for a reason. Unfortunately Kilkenny CoCo decided not to follow them.

But anyway, with the free market they still can't make a go of it. Dunnes are desperate to pull out. How many customers a day do you need to justify paying for light and heat, security staff, maintenance and upkeep etc? How many people want to go shopping for clothes in a shopping centre where half the units are boarded up? Not many. This place has failed, is failing, and will continue to fail.

Best just to think of a better use for the place.

KingLoser · 22-07-2011 7:32pm

pshht. commie.

fatherbuzcagney · 22-07-2011 7:50pm

could be used to host the 'world hide and go seek championships'

wmpdd3 · 22-07-2011 8:50pm

It is bigger than City Square but the problem with the place is the layout of the units. When it was being built, I was working with a company that looked into opening a stand alone clothing store there, but head office said the units were really odd sizes, other than the anchor, each other unit was really small.

Wasn't there supposed to be a car showroom in it? That would take up half the space.

We've all been to 'boom' shopping centers, Douglas and the Showgrounds in Clonmel stand out. A few odd shops, some very attractive decals disguising massive empty units. But still we go and shop there, mostly because the parking is free and you want to go to 1 of the shops.

I agree a center like SuperQuinn would have been a much better idea, but this is what we have and it would be much better open than closed.

wellboytoo · 23-07-2011 11:27am

dayshah wrote: »

But I thought that court case was because Dunnes no longer want to go in there?

Margaret Heffernan (Dunne ) was heard say "I am losing enough money in Kilkenny already without opening another store there "

fricatus · 23-07-2011 3:00pm

wellboytoo wrote: »

Margaret Heffernan (Dunne ) was heard say "I am losing enough money in Kilkenny already without opening another store there "

Did she not know the development was in Waterford?

moonboy52 · 23-07-2011 6:34pm

fricatus wrote: »

Did she not know the development was in Waterford?

I always thought that area was in Waterford as well but seemingly it is in South Kilkenny.

jimbojazz · 23-07-2011 6:38pm

moonboy52 wrote: »

I always thought that area was in Waterford as well but seemingly it is in South Kilkenny.

Nah, its in the Waterford boundary but due to the strange set up over there it's under the Kilkenny Co Co area. Like the houses in Abbey Park are under Waterford City Council control but during the election the candidates were for Kilkenny and I think that's the case with a lot of places over there.

Same was for rubbish collections etc

Just typical of the crap and money wasting that goes on in our great country sometimes

moonboy52 · 23-07-2011 6:39pm

jimbojazz wrote: »

Nah, its in the Waterford boundary but due to the strange set up over there it's under the Kilkenny Co Co area. Like the houses in Abbey Park are under Waterford City Council control but during the election the candidates were for Kilkenny and I think that's the case with a lot of places over there.

Same was for rubbish collections etc

No Surrender I say

You learn something new every day:).

Strange set-up alright!

Trick of the Tail · 24-07-2011 7:33pm

Sully wrote: »

LOL is that what they objected to?!

No. What was objected to is an antenna mast mounted to the side of the house, on gable end brackets.

The ONLY thing wrong with it, is that it's not mounted 'on the roof of the house' which according to planning laws is where an antenna mast is allowed to be.

A.

fricatus · 25-07-2011 9:05am

moonboy52 wrote: »

I always thought that area was in Waterford as well but seemingly it is in South Kilkenny.

In fairness it matters little that it's in KK Co Co's area. The centre is in the Waterford suburbs, and taps the Waterford shopping market, whatever the Kilkenny People etc. might say about it serving "South Kilkenny". A centre this big is not needed for Mullinavat and Glenmore, and would not be viable serving these areas. It would only have been viable by taking shoppers from Waterford city centre, with the effect of undermining the city.

The developers would never have been given planning permission by the City Council for such a large suburban development, so they did the smart thing and set it up in another local authority area, literally the other side of the city boundary, and KK Co Co couldn't resist the temptation of the rates revenue.

It's a bit like how Saddam's crew would set up an oil well right on the border with Kuwait and then drill diagonally so as to take Kuwait's oil.

I'd have less of an objection if I thought that the rates revenue would be spent by the county council on the area immediately bordering Waterford, but on past form, I think this is unlikely.

daenerysstormborn3 · 25-07-2011 9:19am

One would think that the majority of posters here would rather see that place sit idle for another few years.

The place reminds me of Citywest Shopping Centre. Similar problems in set up but now does a roaring trade since houses and apartments have continued to pop up in the area, only difference is the houses and people are already in place in the area surrounding Ferrybank Shopping Centre.

I for one can't wait to no longer have to cross the bridge anytime i want to do some grocery shopping and go into a dead town where most of the shops don't open until half the day is gone.

dayshah · 25-07-2011 10:33am

pixiebean22 wrote: »

I for one can't wait to no longer have to cross the bridge anytime i want to do some grocery shopping and go into a dead town where most of the shops don't open until half the day is gone.

Everyone agrees that you could do with a supermarket for groceries. But if you don't like crossing the bridge into Waterford city centre, how many people for south of the river will want to pass through the city centre, cross the bridge, and then go to Ferrybank, when they can just go to Waterford city centre. The only advantage will be free parking.

As for people from Mullinavegas or Kilmacow, how will they spend a Saturday afternoon. Go to the echo filled Ferrybank centre, or to Waterford city centre where they can do their shopping, get some cakes, collect next years school books, go for a coffee, by chance bump into old school friend Eileen and ask how her daughter is doing in Australia, 'and is Cormac still doing a line with blaa blaa blaa', 'oh yes, its a very strong line', and they aren't talking about cocaine. What buses will go to Ferrybank shopping centre?

All the gravity effects will drag those people to Waterford City centre, not Ferrybank. It'd be something if it had an Ikea or something similar, but it won't. It might be convenient for people from New Ross to go there, but not many others.

The place would have been more viable if it were smaller and then would attract Supervalu or a Tescos.

Best for the developer to cut his losses, and refit it as some sort of indoor adventure centre with climbing walls, air soft, and go karting. That would be something worth travelling for.

road_high · 25-07-2011 11:57am

Have to agree with posters here re the poor planning of this centre. I drove by it recently and was struck by the sheer scale of the building and it's general inappropriateness for the area. A small neighbourhood centre would have more than sufficed here in my opinion. I'd be surprised if they ever fill it to be perfectly honest.

Partizan · 25-07-2011 12:16pm

mfitzy wrote: »

Have to agree with posters here re the poor planning of this centre. I drove by it recently and was struck by the sheer scale of the building and it's general inappropriateness for the area. A small neighbourhood centre would have more than sufficed here in my opinion. I'd be surprised if they ever fill it to be perfectly honest.

You have to wonder did any brown envelopes change hands. How it got planning permission is beyond me. The thing looks totally out of place and will probably never be occupied, never mind filled.

daenerysstormborn3 · 25-07-2011 1:34pm

dayshah wrote: »

Everyone agrees that you could do with a supermarket for groceries. But if you don't like crossing the bridge into Waterford city centre, how many people for south of the river will want to pass through the city centre, cross the bridge, and then go to Ferrybank, when they can just go to Waterford city centre. The only advantage will be free parking.

As for people from Mullinavegas or Kilmacow, how will they spend a Saturday afternoon. Go to the echo filled Ferrybank centre, or to Waterford city centre where they can do their shopping, get some cakes, collect next years school books, go for a coffee, by chance bump into old school friend Eileen and ask how her daughter is doing in Australia, 'and is Cormac still doing a line with blaa blaa blaa', 'oh yes, its a very strong line', and they aren't talking about cocaine. What buses will go to Ferrybank shopping centre?

All the gravity effects will drag those people to Waterford City centre, not Ferrybank. It'd be something if it had an Ikea or something similar, but it won't. It might be convenient for people from New Ross to go there, but not many others.

The place would have been more viable if it were smaller and then would attract Supervalu or a Tescos.

Best for the developer to cut his losses, and refit it as some sort of indoor adventure centre with climbing walls, air soft, and go karting. That would be something worth travelling for.

So only the people on the other side of the river deserve to have something conveniently located?

dayshah · 25-07-2011 1:49pm

pixiebean22 wrote: »

So only the people on the other side of the river deserve to have something conveniently located?

Its not a matter of what people deserve, its a matter of what's practical. It makes sense and is practical to have a supermarket nearby, not so practical to have a clothes shop.

But hey, if you think this development is such a good thing why not contact the developer and tell them you'd like to open a small clothes shop or something in there?

Bards · 25-07-2011 2:28pm

what they should have done is build a third bridge between Ferrbank and the back of Ardkeen - problem solved

Silverado · 25-07-2011 4:03pm

And imagine that the Neighbourhood Village shopping centre in Rathculliheen was also being built at the same time as the Ferrybank Shopping Centre. The planners at Kilkenny Co. Council actually granted planning permission for them both. They must have thought that Ferrybank was going to grow larger than Waterford City.

It is interesting to note that the Rathculliheen centre is currently being investigated by the High Court for planning irregularities (http://www.marstonplanning.ie/news/10).

wmpdd3 · 25-07-2011 5:20pm

Is that the one at Abbey Park?

Sully · 25-07-2011 5:32pm

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Is that the one at Abbey Park?

Nope, its the big ass shopping complex as you leave to head towards New Ross on the main road.

Trick of the Tail · 25-07-2011 5:38pm

No the Rathcuhhagheen one is the one at Abbey Park.

dayshah · 25-07-2011 6:36pm

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Is that the one at Abbey Park?

I can't find an official website, but this is the ad from daft.ie

http://www.daft.ie/searchcommercial.daft?id=71794

(the streetview is sort of funny

)

Silverado · 25-07-2011 7:18pm

There seems to be some confusion as to the location of the Neighbourhood Village shopping centre, Rathculliheen. It is NOT the Ferrybank Shopping Centre on the old N25 (now R680). It is at Rathculliheen beside Abbey Park on the road to Gyles Quay near where the old Clover Meats was.

There are two unopened shopping centres in Ferrybank.

Sully · 25-07-2011 10:47pm

Silverado wrote: »

There seems to be some confusion as to the location of the Neighbourhood Village shopping centre, Rathculliheen. It is NOT the Ferrybank Shopping Centre on the old N25 (now R680). It is at Rathculliheen beside Abbey Park on the road to Gyles Quay near where the old Clover Meats was.

There are two unopened shopping centres in Ferrybank.

So its not this one;
http://www.daft.ie/searchcommercial.daft?id=71794

Which is far far worse than one down some side road?

abouttobebanned · 01-08-2011 11:14pm

Anyone ever see the inside of it?

some interesting pics here

http://www.elclaser.com/architectural_steel_jpc_ferry_bank_shopping_centre.aspx

dannydiamond · 01-08-2011 11:19pm

abouttobebanned wrote: »

Anyone ever see the inside of it?

some interesting pics here

http://www.elclaser.com/architectural_steel_jpc_ferry_bank_shopping_centre.aspx

Looks great, such a pity.

Ferrybank Shopping Centre - Again

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