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.

Ferrybank Shopping Centre - Again

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