New shopping centre confirms potential of Greystones

RetailThe opening of a new shopping centre underlines the commercial potential of Greystones, writes Joe Breen

A landmark commercial and residential development in the heart of the growing commuter town of Greystones, Co Wicklow, will be officially opened tomorrow by the local Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche.

The eye-catching Meridian Point Shopping Centre is set in a large site off Church Road, the town's main commercial street, and is the second major recent commercial development in the area. The Charlesland scheme to the south of the town is under construction and, when completed, will consist of 1,300 houses and apartments as well as a commercial and retail block which will have Superquinn as its anchor tenant.

These two developments will put more pressure on the already strained road traffic and car-parking infrastructure in the town. The rapid growth of Greystones, aided by the extension of a DART service to the coastal town, is increasingly gobbling up much of the green space between it and its neighbour village of Delgany, while the Charlesland project has cut down the amount of green space between the commuter town and Kilcoole down the coast.

The Meridian Point centre, which cost Cosgrave Property Developers Ltd €25 million and took 18 months to construct, consists of 14 commercial units, 33 two and three-bedroom apartments and six townhouses. At the moment, car-parking is free in the 190-unit car-park.

The commercial units are from 65-418 sq m (700-4,500 sq ft) and the tenants include the DIY chain, Heatons, ladies and men's fashion shops, a children's game shop, World of Wonder, two restaurants and a coffee shop.

The restaurants - new branches of Jaipur, which specialises in Indian cuisine, and Lemongrass, which does likewise with Thai food - will provide strong competition for the town's existing eating places, including the well-known Hungry Monk restaurant, the Royal Park Chinese restaurant and the Opresco restaurant. In addition, there will be a new coffee house in the development.

Architects for the project were NBK Designs Ltd, and principal architects, Brian Colgan and Niall Burke Kennedy, have put together an imaginative and attractive design with two storeys of retail units facing into a spacious courtyard with a metal horse at the centre. Striking modern light fittings and dramatically sweeping roof lines underline the flair of the design.

The residential units are set behind the shopping centre with the balconies of the upper floors overlooking the courtyard. When the restaurants are up and running this integration of commercial and residential should help create a Continental-type "buzz" in the centre.

The total area of the shopping centre, including the two restaurants, is approximately 2,369 sq m (25,500 sq ft) and the rent for the units is €484 per sq m (€45 per sq ft). The selling agent was Hooke & McDonald.

All 33 apartments in the development have been sold with prices from €385,000 to €520,000 while only one four-bed townhouse remains from six. They were priced from €675,000 to €740,000 each.

This integrated development underlines the increasing commercial potential in Greystones. With its growing population, overwhelming middle-class profile and the prospect of a major marina on the horizon (see below), it is little wonder that the formerly sleepy Co Wicklow town is being increasingly described as the Malahide of the southside. How being compared to a northside town goes down with these natural southsiders is another issue.