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

Knowles makes €255,000

The former Knowles electrical shop at 112/113 Lower George’s street in Dún Laoghaire has been sold at auction for €255,000. Norths had put a reserve price of €195,000 on the two-storey corner building, which has a floor area of 155 sq m (1,668 sq ft).

New tenants for cafe at Trinity

CHARTERED SURVEYORS Brown Corrigan have sourced a new tenant for a cafe opposite the grounds of Trinity College at 15 South Leinster Street.

Several parties pitched for the premises, which are to be remodelled and rebranded before reopening for business. Robert Corrigan of the letting agents, who had been quoting a rent of €45,000, said the high level of interest was due in part to the fact that the cafe was already fitted out and also because of the increased number of tourists visiting the street.

Bakery co takes Finglas unit

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY specialist William Harvey has just let a substantial production warehouse and office facility at Poppintree Industrial Estate in Finglas in Dublin. The tenant, a newly-formed bakery company, will be paying an average headline rent of €48.50 per sq m (€4.50 per sq ft) for the building, which extends to 3,534 sq m (38,040 sq ft) .

The same agents have have also leased a building of 1,653 sq m (17,793 sq ft) at Cookstown Industrial Estate in Tallaght to Logic Fleet Management at €43 per sq m (€4 per sq ft).

Retail reserve at €595,000

CHARTERED SURVEYORS North’s have disclosed a reserve price of €595,000 for a retail and office building at 7 South Great George’s Street in Dublin 2 which is to be auctioned shortly.

The shop is currently rented to Acapulco Mexican restaurant at €54,000 per year. The three upper floors, with a seperate entrance, are currently vacant. They have a combined floor space of over 99 sq m (1,068 sq ft) and would be expected to rent at €13,000 per annum.

Michael White store reduced

PAULA COSTELLO of agents O’Farrell Cleere has reduced the asking price from €1.9 million to €1.495 million for the Michael White furniture store in the centre of Malahide village in north Dublin.

It has a broad ground floor area of 300 sq m (3,230 sq ft) and a rear yard. There is a further 100 sq m (1,076 sq ft) of floor space overhead. The shop is located along one of the busiest areas in the village.

€3m sought for retail investment on Dawson St, Dub 2

AGENT QUINN Agnew is seeking €1.6 million for a retail investment close to St Stephen’s Green at 30 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. The four-storey over basement building is leased to estate agents Savills for a period of 25 years from 2000 at a current rent of €141,300 per annum. Savills has been endeavouring to assign the lease since vacating the building about three years ago. The ground floor area extends to 80 sq m and for rent review purposes the upper floors are assumed to have a separate entrance.

H&B open 41st Irish store

HOLLAND & BARRETT, the health food chain, is to open its 41st Irish store in the long-vacant 3G Mobile outlet at 17 Henry St, Dublin 1. Although the Arnotts Pension Fund, owners of the store, had been seeking a rent of €275,000 for the unit, it is understood that they settled for €220,000, as well as a 12-month rent-free period.

3G had apparently been paying a rent of around €345,000 as well as rates of almost €57,000 for the store, which has a ground floor area of 151 sq m (1,626 sq ft). Simon Cooper of Savills handled the letting and Keith Ruane of Colliers International advised HB. Meanwhile, close by in the GPO Arcade, Hair Spray Extravaganza have agreed a rent of €180,000 per annum (€50,000 less than the quoting rent) for a shop of 92 sq m (1,000 sq ft). There will also be a rent-free period exending over six months. Daniel McLoughlin of Bannon handled the letting.