In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

Over €2.4m for Georgian office

The former Hooke & MacDonald office at 52 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, is expected to make over €2.4 million when it is auctioned on March 16th through DTZ Sherry FitzGerald. The four-storey over basement Georgian office occupies a high profile position at the junction of Merrion Square and Upper Mount Street. It has a floor area of 262.56sq m (2,826sq ft) and is fitted with a six-person lift. Last year Hooke & MacDonald relocated to a large modern office block on Lower Baggot Street.

Over €1.6m for D2 retail unit

Offers over €1.6 million are sought for the Lipsy Clothing retail building at 24 Drury Street, Dublin 2, which is for sale by private treaty through Hamilton Osborne King. The three-storey over basement terraced building has a floor area of 107sq m (1,154sq ft), including 38sq m (410sq ft) at street level. John Kirwan of HOK says there is strong interest in the building which, along with others in the street, have benefited from the movement of traders from the high rents on Grafton Street to neighbouring streets. Last autumn, HOK sold a smaller building two doors away at 22 Drury Street for €975,000. It had a floor area of 69sq m (742sq ft). In this case the shop was smaller than usual at 13.9sq m (150sq ft) as part of it had earlier been sold as an entrance into the Asian Market. The shop, along with a basement of 23sq m (250sq ft), has just been let as a fashion boutique by Davin & Co at a rent of €30,000 per annum.

Over €3m for Fenian Street site

Lisney expect to secure over €3 million for a site beside the Alexander Hotel on Fenian Street, Dublin 2, which is for sale by tender next month. The corner site of 0.06 hectares has frontage on to Fenian Street and Bass Place and has full planning permission for a seven-storey over basement hostel with ground floor restaurant and office facilities extending to 2,114sq m (22,755sq ft). The sale, on behalf of The Mount Street Club, is likely to be of interest to apartment developers who may opt for a change of use.

€3.25m for interlinked offices just off Merrion Square

Investors and small firms looking for a modern office building should be interested in 22/23 Holles Street, Dublin 2, which is for sale by private treaty. CBRE Gunne is guiding at least €3.25 million for the interconnected three-storey over basement buildings which have a net internal area of 311sq m (3,348sq ft). The 10-year-old buildings have a lift and five car-parking spaces. The property is beside Holles Street Hospital, just off Merrion Square.

Over €1.8m for newsagents

An interesting retail opportunity will arise shortly in Ranelagh village, Dublin 6, when the Newsagent building goes for sale by auction. Hamilton Osborne King is quoting over €1.8 million for the three-storey building which has retail use on the ground floor and overhead offices. The offices have a separate access off Ashfield Road. The building is being sold for Brian Keighron, the third generation of his family to run the newsagency. The shop has 74.91sq m (806sq ft) and, says HOK, is likely to end up as either an off-licence, bookshop, bookmakers or a restaurant.

Office to rent on Cork's quays

Lisney's Cork office is marketing a showrooms or office unit in a new docklands development on Lapps Quay, opposite the Clarion Hotel. The ground floor unit of 342sq m (3,680sq ft) is part of a multi-storey office development in Cork city's new business district. Edward Hanafin of Lisney is guiding a rent of around €430 per sq m (€39.95 per sq ft) for the premises which would suit a variety of uses, including retail, showrooms, banking hall, financial services or offices.

Region €1.1m for Bray office unit

CBRE Gunne is seeking region €1.1 million for a single storey office building at the entrance to the Southern Cross Business Park at Boghall Road in Bray, Co Wicklow. The premises extends to 547sq m (5,888sq ft) and stands on a site of 0.3 hectares which accommodates 24 car-parking spaces.

€484 per sq m rent in IFSC

Joint agents CBRE Gunne and Jones Lang LaSalle are confident of finding a tenant for part of the second floor of 5 Harbourmaster Place in the IFSC - the building adjoins Connolly Station. The agents are offering "new flexible terms" on a net internal area of 544sq m (5,856sq ft). The rents are €484 per sq m (€45 per sq ft) and €3,500 for parking spaces.