New city business park will be a dedicated follower of fashion

The rag trade is abandoning Dublin city centre for a £26 million (€33m) purpose-built enclave called Fashion City at the M50 business park in Ballymount, Dublin 12.

Traditionally, fashion manufacturing and the wholesale trade centred around South William Street in Dublin's south city centre - but it is now proving a logistical nightmare, traders say.

Severe traffic congestion in the narrow city streets, inadequate parking facilities for unloading merchandise and the layout of many of the Georgian premises were cited as problems in a report prepared by town planner Fergal MacCabe.

The move has been initiated by a number of dissatisfied city centre fashion traders who got together with Park Developments to design a dedicated area with easier access, better parking and customised facilities.

Agent for Park Developments, Hamilton Osborne King, says it is envisaged that Fashion City, where premises have been sold to 15 companies for around £130 per sq ft, will be ready for occupation by late 2002. Mason Owen and Lyons acted for the traders.

A second phase of eight units is going to tender on Friday December 14th.

Companies planning to defect from their protected-structure buildings in South William Street include Avalon Fashions, Liner Fashions, Tensile Enterprises and French Dressing Limited.

Other city centre-based companies moving out, mainly from Clarendon Street and Drury Street, include Fashion Developments Limited, Bellina Creations, OC Fashions, Decollage Ltd, Grβinne O'Rourke Ltd, Moffett Reynolds O'Sullivan Barry & Sons, Traffic Group, Zoop Clothing Company and Regine, many of which are also located in protected structures.

The conservation implications of customising these period buildings has proved too limiting for many, who are also dogged by poor lighting and storage problems. The fact that these old houses span over two or three floors is also a disadvantage for some.

The changing face of the environs of South William Street has also been a factor, as it has gradually become an upmarket Temple Bar, populated with cafΘs, restaurants and bars like Dakota, Viva and Spy.

The plan for the 3.8 hectare site in the M50 business park is for several pavilions linked together to form two distinct buildings with a central courtyard containing a 2,800 sq ft cafΘ/reception building,

The buildings will have over 150,000 sq ft of single-storey storage, wholesale distribution and light manufacturing units, and over 20,000 sq ft of three-storey ancillary agent's offices. There will also be 285 off-street car-parking spaces.

One of the instigators of the project, Adrian Byrne of French Dressing, says the scheme will be similar to dedicated fashion developments which are a common phenomenon in capital cities throughout mainland Europe.

"From a buyer's perspective, it suits if they only have to go to one area to visit several companies, especially given the Dublin traffic."

The main factor in his decision to move is the difficulty loading and unloading containers.

"You have to have a container off the street by 8.30 a.m., otherwise it can cause chaos, especially since the street was narrowed to reduce heavy traffic."

He has seen some major changes since he moved into South William Street nine years ago. "It was almost all rag trade then but 75 per cent of the clothing businesses have disappeared since then. A lot of small wholesale businesses have been killed off by the British multiples who have dispensed with the need for a middle man." Those who survive, he says, are offering something different, often with in-house designers.

Sean Barron of Flairline, which has premises on South William Street and Drury Street, calls himself "one of a dying breed".

He is staying put despite offers of £4 to £5 million (€5.08m to €6.35m) "from various developers looking to locate restaurants and hotels on the street".