A PLAN to redevelop Ballymun shopping centre has met with opposition from the developers of the Northside shopping centre, writes Edel Morgan.
In an appeal to An Bord Pleanála, Brian O’Farrell’s N1 Property Developments Ltd says the scale of the planned Ballymun shopping centre has been “understated” and would have an adverse impact on Northside and other shopping centres in the area.
N1 Property Developments is looking to demolish the 37-year-old Northside shopping centre in Coolock and build a 75,652sq m (814,311sq ft) shopping centre over two phases. The €1 billion redevelopment of the Northside shopping centre is before An Bord Pleanála in March. Also proposed are 1,340 residential units, a leisure centre, library, medical centre, crèche, offices and cinema.
Treasury Holdings’ plans for Ballymun shopping centre include 60,293sq m (649,000sq ft) of retail space, 27,880sq m (300,100sq ft) of offices, a nine-screen cinema, bowling alley, 2,111sq m (22,723sq ft) of civic space and a family entertainment centre.
But N1 Property Developments Ltd says the scale of the centre, in terms of traffic generation, has been downplayed, saying the scheme is “totally dependent” on Metro North and without it, local congestion would be out of control. “The Metro North project has not yet been approved by An Bord Pleanála nor has it been sanctioned by the Government to proceed to construction,” it says.
It says that the developers of Ballymun shopping centre have “grossly underestimated” the potential impact on business at other local centres, like the Omni shopping centre in Santry, Northside in Coolock and the Charlestown centre in Finglas.
