Way cleared for city centre food hall

JOE Leyden's Don-Lay Group has secured planning permission to redevelop the Abbey Mall shopping arcade at Lower Liffey Street and Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, for use as a food hall. He acquired the property over a year ago for £700,000. The centrepiece of the £5 million development will be a series of food kitchens with a central dining hall to seat about 200 people. Each kitchen will concentrate on one type of food, such as hampers and sausages, chicken, fish, pizza and Italian food, Chinese and Thai food, crepes, deserts and ice creams. The concept is based on a well-tried formula in Europe and the US. Dublin Corporation has granted planning permission for 18 food outlets in the former shopping arcade. A further five shops are also to be provided and the upper floors are to be converted into 30 apartments.