Watch this Space

Aldi store for RathminesAldi has been granted planning permission by Dublin City Council to open a store on the site of the former Rathmines Capital Hotel on the Lower Rathmines Road in Dublin 6. The decision comes as a surprise to industry sources who thought Aldi's planning application might be hampered by a lack of car-parking in the area, although many believe the planning permission will be appealed to An Bord Pleanála by third parties.

The plan is that the ground floor and basement, formerly Savannah Cafe Bar and Club, will be turned into a 1,349 sq m (14,520 sq ft) discount foodstore. The 54-bed three-star hotel was formerly owned by brothers Liam and Des Dwyer of Capital Bars.

This application is part of a €100 million expansion in Ireland by Aldi that will see its store numbers jump by 66 to 80 over the next 18 months. Aldi and its main discount rival, Lidl, have taken 5 per cent of the €6 billion Irish grocery market since they arrived five years ago.

York Street redevelopment

Dublin City Council is proposing a major redevelopment of 17-31 York Street in Dublin 2. The proposal is that the existing building be demolished and a block of apartments built fronting York Street, Mercer Street and onto the courtyard of Mercer House.

It is looking to build 66 apartments, a community/retail space on the ground floor to the corner of York Street and Mercer Street, basement car-parking for 21 cars, a communal courtyard with gardens, play area and two communal roof gardens, a waste recycling pavilion, and solar panels on the roof. The scheme is of three blocks and a return block rising to seven stores while the plans can be inspected at Dublin City Council's Planning Department in Wood Quay.

Mixed-use plan for D1

Liffey Trust Ltd is looking to demolish the semi-derelict Liffey Trust Building at 117-126 Upper Sheriff Street, Dublin 1 along with a disused and vacant house on the same site, and build a nine-storey building, with 111 deck-accessed apartments, a 4,419 sq m (47,566 sq ft) enterprise centre, start-up offices, a kitchen, gallery, craft shop and a performing arts school. Eleven retail/commercial units would be arranged around a market-style covered street.