Write place: Pen Corner building on Dame Street for €6.5m-plus

One of Dublin’s most distinctive shopfronts, at the junction of College Green and Trinity Street, is about to attract renewed interest with the announcement of the planned sale of the entire building by tender next month.

Nigel Kingston of agent Lambert Smith Hampton is inviting offers over €6.5 million for the hidden treasure chest known as the Pen Corner, which embraces four shops at street level and a range of office and other suites in the upper floors.

The present owners bought the building in 1996 for €1.45 million and currently earn annual revenues of €360,000 from the overall investment. The Pen Corner pays a rent of €75,000 while the adjoining Keogh Café contributes €62,000, the Crossing Newsagent €37,500, and a tourist office €41,000.

Office tenants on the upper floors pay between €15 and €22 per sq ft and include Grafton Architects, DTA Architects, a chiropractor practice and two media companies.

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The building was originally owned by Friends Provident Life Assurance and has been trading as the Pen Corner since 1927. One keen fan explained on the internet that the shop was "full of things you didn't know you wanted . . . so be warned".