Suburban village waits for a high rise future

IN . . . STILLORGAN:WITH ITS quiet residential cul-de-sacs and sleepy environs, Stillorgan village has been defined since the 1960s by its landmark shopping centre Nowadays however, despite a popularity that has never waned, the shopping centre and village focal point is beginning to show its age.

And, aside from the charm of its cottage-lined Hill and the quiet streets of the place, its once innovative bowling alley, magnetic Blake's restaurant, and fashionable shopping-centre are all desperately in need of regeneration and investment.

Chief stakeholder in the area is Treasury Holdings, which in recent times has been buying the village's silverware - the shopping centre, Blake's, Leisureplex and, the Esmonde Motors sites - recognising a potential for tomorrow.

In the current economic climate, many of the blueprints for the regeneration of the area, driven by the Stillorgan Local Area Plan, are for the birds.

Treasury is eager to turn the old village into a modern thoroughfare with new housing, retail spaces, crèches, bars and restaurants, minimising traffic and pedestrian and driver fatigue.

Planning permission has been granted for a new four-storey shopping centre, crèche, and gym with extra car-park spaces at the village centre; a high-rise development with 200-odd apartments and another high-rise development consisting of yet more apartments and retail on the Esmonde Motors site.

And, that's before taking into consideration the plans for the shopping centre's overflow car-park and the Millhouse site.

Ultimately, the chances of seeing a discernible change in the Stillorgan landscape - with its friendly and enthusiastic population (16,000-odd, but has been dwindling for 25 years) - in the next three to four years is likely to be lost in more planning delays.

How's the market? Depending on whom you talk to it's either "slow", "busy", injected with "a new market realism" or, "buyers are getting off the fence". "Demand for valuations are up" also, with some estate agents mixing semantics - "rate of slowdown has slowed down" - with delusion.

In a declining community, empty-nesters keen to downsize to something smaller are reluctant to move away from the village, which has few apartments, while developments are in oversupply towards Sandyford or off the dual-carriageway.

One such apartment development off the busy N11 is Beechwood Court, Stillorgan Road, which will set you back €535,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, while a mid 1980s-style four-bedroom semi-detached in Stillorgan Park, facing an open-spaced green and a seven-minute walk to the village, is € 780,000 (down from €820,00).

Going up in scale, properties in quite amenable areas such a Coolnevaun, with their much-sought 100ft back gardens and closer again to the village will cost €1.45 million (down from €1.65 million, or 12 per cent) for a six-bedroom, four-bathroom semi-detached 1970s-style dwelling with extensions.

And to rent?

One-bedroom apartments, like everywhere else in the city, are renting for €1,250 a month, while two-bedroom apartments are flooding the market with rents in this sector down from €1,600 to around €1,400 per month.

Going out?

There's a good sprinkling of pubs and dinky restaurants, including the Beaufield Mews, which still retains its charm, and Gong, which locals are raving about, although they're all overshadowed by the derelict dining experiences up for renewal and advertising signposts that TGI Friday's at the Playwright in Blackrock is only three minutes away.

Price of a pint?

In Boland's Hill, it's €4.30.

Good for families?

While there are plenty of schools in the area, pressure for places, fuelled by residential expansion locally is forcing some parents in the words of one principal, Sr Mary Corr from St Raphaela's primary school, "to put children's names down from two months old". She recommends all parents do so as early as possible. Crèche places exist at Glenalbyn Montessori School (9am to 12.30pm) at ¬340 per month.

What to do?

Home to Kilmacud Crokes, Ormonde cinema and Leisureplex with Q-Zar, Pompeii Paints and bowling.

Locals say

"The village landscape is a planner's fantasy that's wasted on them" (James Collins).

"It's great to see so many people in the village on a regular basis" ( Mary Murphy).

"There's a great selection of shops to visit on your break and it's near McDonalds" (Gavin Doyle).

"It's out of date" (John Regan).