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Plans have been announced for a major extension to Foyleside Shopping Centre in Londonderry.
Foyleside, with 400,000 Sq.Ft. of retail space and 1,500 car parking spaces is the largest shopping centre in Northern Ireland outside Victoria Square in Belfast. The centre was conceived by Boston based developers O’Connell Brothers and opened in 1995. It’s major tenants include Marks and Spencer, Dunnes Stores, Debenhams, Argos, Next, River Island and Boots. It has established itself as one of Northern Ireland’s most successful shopping centres.
The expansion proposals involve the creation of a further 235,000 Sq Ft of additional retail space, an office block of 67,000 Sq Ft and a 9 screen cinema and additional car parking.
The proposed extension would be constructed on the lands opposite Foyleside Shopping Centre currently occupied by Orchard House, an existing Government office building, Foyleside East Car Park and the existing Visitor & Convention Bureau established by Derry City Council.
The developers have entered into preliminary discussions with the Department of Finance & Personnel and the Department for Social Development in relation to assembling the required land, which may include acquiring Orchard House and relocating its tenants to the proposed new office block overlooking the River on the Foyle Embankment. BTWShiells, the scheme’s Managing Agent and Letting Agent, said that these discussions were exploratory in nature and the Departments were keeping an open mind about the proposed disposal of Orchard House and relocation of the current tenants to the office block within the new development. Derry City Council confirmed preliminary discussions had taken place between the developers and the Council in relation to the overall concept and its likely impact on the future of the Derry Visitors Centre Bureau site and the wider City Centre.
It is estimated that the total cost of the Foyleside expansion would be in the region of £100 million and that it would take over 2 years to build. It is envisaged that it would generate 500 construction jobs and a further 300 full time jobs for Derry.
Criona Collins of BTWShiells stated that the proposals represented a major boost for Derry especially at a time when the local property market was starved of new development following the credit crunch.
[posted: 2 December 2009]
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