Yellow Style

Hello Yellow!
Welcome to Blanchardstown Yellow Mall
Meet the team
Interviews with the key players involved in Yellow Mall
What’s in store?
Plans, sights and the vision ahead
Dublin diversity
What we love about the fair city
Yellow Style
Wear it like you care
A Blanchardstown Centre Publication
04
14
20
2
04
Dr. Andrzej Wejchert
Scheme Architect
06
Green Property
The story so far
08
Hard Facts, Easy Living
What’s on offer in Blanchardstown
10
Paul Culhane
Development Director
12
Conor Byrne
Development Manager
14
Latest News...
from Blanchardstown Centre
16
Master Plan
A birds eye view
18
Scheme Layout Plans
20
Yellow Style
Dazzling Fashion
24
Cosmopolitan Culture
Dine in style in Dublin
26
My Dublin
The inside story
30
Connect with Blanchardstown
Transport and Infrastructure
31
Focus on the Letting Agents
Jones Lang LaSalle and HWBC
Hello
Yellow
When did you last wear yellow? Or did you ever? You may think it seems an
intimidating prospect. If you are not the bold type, yellow accessories go a
long way. Eye-catching yellow brightens up its surroundings, whatever they
may be.
Yellow Mall, set to open in 2009, will be the latest edition to Irelands largest
shopping and leisure destination.
Dublin as a city has been booming during the last decade, and the Blanchardstown area is thriving. It is by far the fastest growing suburb of Dublin.
Of course, that has a lot to do with the Blanchardstown Centre, the number
one ranked shopping centre on the whole island of Ireland.
Yellow Mall will be more than just an extension to the shopping centre, it
will provide 25 new units totalling 275,000 sq feet (25,500 sq metres) of spectacular new accommodation, designed to match the requirements of todays
more discerning shopper and diner.
Y Magazine - what you are holding in your hands this very moment - is one
example of that. Still in its infancy, Y Magazine will bring you a mix of fashion,
lifestyle and features. It aims to have a spectacular fusion in the same mould
as will Yellow Mall.
We hope you will find this as exciting as we do. Y Magazine aims to be
equally intriguing as the colour yellow.
Peter Steen-Christensen
Editor, Y Magazine
Yellow Mall
North West Elevation
Credits
Y Magazine
HKM Publishing Ireland Ltd
7 Upper Camden Street
Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 1 479 1111
Designer
Hedda Dick
Development Manager
Conor Byrne
Exhibition Designer
Denis O’Reilly
Creative Consultant
James Kelleher
Intern
Angela Steen
Publisher
Stefan Hallenius
Writers
Neil Dowling
Jane Ruffino
Conor Creighton
Olivia Smith
Letting Agents
Lisa McGrane
Eoin Feeney
Sharon Walsh
Stephen Murray
Project Architects
Graham Dwyer
Paul Roche
Operations Manager
Pat Fitzgerald
Editor
Peter Steen-Christensen
Creative Influence
Martin Wright
Magazine Concept
Kevin Finn
Photographers
Lili Forberg
Samir Hadj
Steve Ryan
Andreas Pettersson
Marketing Liason
Eileen Mahon
Blanchardstown Centre:
Marketing Manager
Mercy Prendergast
Cover by Andreas Pettersson
3
Dr. Andrzej Wejchert
Architect
Despite having spent over forty years in Ireland, Polish architect Andrzej
Wejchert seems somewhat otherworldly. It’s like meeting a time-traveller
who’s just dropped by from the future to tell us all that everything is going
to be alright. Seemingly untouched by the rhythms of boom time Dublin,
Wejchert speaks slowly and at length about his highly successful practice.
Most noticeable however, in a man of his vintage, is the enthusiasm that
animates his voice and his eyes. It is as if he were straight out of college
working on his first commission. He is never far from a notepad and has
a pencil at the ready should he need to explain something in his favourite
language, the visual.
Andrzej Wejchert has worked closely with Green Property for over two
decades and has been responsible for most of the buildings that will make
up the new Blanchardstown town centre.
Shot at
Smithfield Studios
Photographed by
Lili Forberg
Styled by
Isabel Perez
4
What excites you about working
on Yellow Mall development?
Looking at things from the
historical perspective various
types of buildings have stood out,
cathedrals and railway stations
for example, but never shopping
centres. That’s a new type of building. It’s something that emerged
in the second half of the twentieth
century, and for most of that time
architects have had difficulty with
it. So there’s the challenge of doing
something better.
Can you tell me about the work
you have done in Blanchardstown
up to now?
What we’re doing now is part of a
process that we became involved
with back in 1985. We began with a
core (the existing mall) with parking next to it. The space outside
this core was then claimed by
other buildings including three
retail parks, a multiplex cinema,
a gymnasium, a leisure centre, a
library and an arts centre. Quinn
Direct insurance and eBay have
occupied large office buildings we
designed. So these are all among
the new ingredients. This variety is
very important and Fingal County
Council recognizes that and has
been very keen to bring in a wider
range of uses for the area.
Do you think people’s requirements have changed since the
Blanchardstown Centre opened
in 1996?
[As he speaks Wejchert sketches
the outline of the mall with it’s
outer shell and waveform main
thoroughfare.]
The initial mall was built on the
classic North American model.
Since that time we went to Canada,
the UK, France, and Germany to
look at alternative models. Nobody
wants blank walls on either side
of a road. It would be like driving
through the desert. The idea was to
turn the outlets so they are facing
outwards providing access from the
street and from the mall. This new
Yellow project allows us to do this
in a very exciting way.
In addition , retailers are looking
for increasingly larger units these
days, which we are providing for in
the new extension.
So has the American model
failed?
The segregation of industrial,
residential and commercial zones
doesn’t work as an organism. When
there’s a mix of uses it’s always
a safer and stronger society. The
[Blanchardstown] town centre is all
about bringing in a mixture of people, and that’s what we want. The
mix gives a more positive aspect
to society. As the different kinds of
buildings came along over time it
meant that the town centre has had
a very organic growth.
Irish people seem very resistant
to high-rise for example. Do you
find that public attitudes towards
architecture and design are changing, or do you find them restricting?
In areas that are established it is
always much more difficult to gain
acceptance and change minds. It’s
hell to try and build anything in the
city centre. Fingal County Council is,
on the other hand, extremely progressive. They think more about the
kind of society they want than about
the formal aspects. So they are
open to doing whatever will attract
the right kind of investment that will
bring in employment and create a
better place to live. When I came to
Ireland in the ‘60s nobody wanted
to live in the city centre. Everybody
wanted a house of their own. We are
paying the penalties for that today
with the problems that come with
low density. So now our thinking is
slowly changing.
What brought you to Ireland all
those years ago?
My intention after finishing my studies in Poland was to go to France.
There were lots of things happening
there at the time with a big movement of people from the country
into the cities. Architects are like
nomads, you see – they follow the
work. And at that time I started to
enter architectural competitions,
one of which was for the new campus at UCD, which I won. The idea
was to stay for a year but I’m still
here. My wife followed me over and
we love it here. The wheel has gone
full circle now though. In the ‘90s we
were asked to do an office building
in Warsaw. Then we did another and
that won building of the year. Now
we are doing a huge project in Krakow. When I came to Ireland there
were probably five other Poles, now
I hear Polish being spoken everywhere I go around the city.
What is the philosophy behind
your work?
I have to understand the life of other
people if I’m to do something well.
I like to get under your skin if I’m
going to make something you’ll really love.
Do you have a dream building
you’d like to give to Dublin?
We’ve been really lucky to be able
to work on the projects we have, but
yes, the one thing I would really love
to do is make a really tall building
somewhere in the city, perhaps
opposite the new metro line at
Blanchardstown. It would be a place
I could go to the top of and look
out over the whole city and see the
Wicklow mountains.
[He points to a tall chrome and
glass sculpture in the office] Like
that. Isn’t that an elegant structure?
5
Stephen Vernon &
Green Property
With your background in the UK,
Stephen, how have you found doing business in Ireland?
I’ve enjoyed working here very
much. There’s great camaraderie
and esprit de corps among the
Irish business community. What I
found when I came here was that
most people running significant
businesses here knew each other
and were supportive of each other.
I think that the business community has a competitive ethos and
the banks are highly supportive of
their clients here. Also, I think the
professional service firms give their
clients loyalty and support. Ireland
has been a great place to do business. I didn’t come here because I
thought this was going to be a great
place to be, although it turned out
that it was. I came here because I
had the opportunity to be the MD
of a listed real estate company.
I wanted to be a real developer
rather than an advisor. Ownership
of the site at Blanchardstown obviously afforded me this opportunity.
Stephen Vernon took over as Managing Director of Green Property in
1993. When he left his post as managing partner for a large London
consultancy firm the Irish property scene was a quiet backwater compared
to the world he left behind. On his arrival the market capitalization value
of the company was €12 million. Within a decade he led a bid to buy out
the company, by which point the asking price was €1.85 billion. Stephen
speaks nostalgically of the buy-out and other experiences on the front
lines of business. It may be work, but the cut and thrust of the business
deal, he assures me, is also lots of fun.
6
Have you fulfilled your ambitions
for Blanchardstown?
Our intention in 1994 when we first
started construction was to deliver
a town centre for Blanchardstown. I
think we have achieved that. In addition to the core shopping centre
we have the largest concentration
of retail park space in Ireland. We
have cinemas, a library, a theatre
and the corporate office headquarters for both the Quinn Group and
eBay. We will also soon have our
first hotel on the site. After all this
approximately 30% of the overall
site area of 107 acres is still available for development. We probably
have another 10 to 15 years of development left at Blanchardstown.
Some say the boom is over, are
you optimistic about the future of
the Irish economy?
Absolutely, and that’s because
I believe that the fundamentals
haven’t really changed. Ireland has
extremely favourable demography.
It has a very good education system. It has many, many things going for it. My only complaint is that
we don’t have the infrastructure we
should have by now.
Jim McKenna
Jim, what does your working day
consist of?
Obviously the Company has other
property interests apart from Blanchardstown and these have to be
managed. In relation to the Centre,
which is the single biggest asset,
my role is directing and assisting the management team on the
ground who are there to ensure
that shoppers to the Centre enjoy
the experience. With over 17 million visits last year, it is a very busy
centre. I must also ensure that all
the top stores are there to meet
the expectations of shoppers. I
think we have managed to do this
very well, while at the same time
retain a strong mix of speciality and
smaller stores which you don’t find
in other centres.
Jim McKenna, Operations Director of the company, is another man who can
barely conceal his enthusiasm for work. The unbridled energy that has him
talking a mile a minute could come from the fact he’s an active sportsman,
equally at home on the fairways or the pistes, or else it could just be
that he’s from Kerry. Either way Jim goes a long way to countering any
perception of property developers as corporate sharks whose only concern
is with profit margins. While some people live to work, Jim knows how to
stop and smell the flowers. Having done Machu Picchu and Santiago de
Compostela, Jim is about to embark on a charity walk in Nepal at the end
of November for multiple sclerosis.
What is the biggest challenge?
Keeping the centre relevant in face
of increased competition. We see
maintaining and constantly improving tenant mix as most important.
As rents get higher, it’s ok for the
big international companies to pay,
but it becomes more and more
difficult for the smaller stores,
of which we have a good few at
Blanchardstown. We like to have
dry-cleaners as well as large fashion shops. We can’t make too many
allowances, because that wouldn’t
be fair to other retailers, but we
tend not to push the level of rents
to the nth degree. I think maintaining the mix in the centre is most
important.
How did Green Property get involved in the retail sector?
Green Property has been in existence now for forty odd years. From
its very inception it has been heavily
involved in retail. Shopping centres
were in their infancy at that time.
We developed the second shopping
centre in Ireland. Once we became
involved, that was the area that the
expertise in the company developed.
What do you feel is the key to your
success?
We always manage our own centres. I think the most important element when managing a shopping
centre is to be proactive in relation
to creating and changing the whole
thing. Never stand still. Yellow Mall
is being designed and developed in
response to the market. We need
larger shops to satisfy demand
from retailers, in particular many of
our current tenants have requirements for larger stores within the
scheme.
How would you sell Blanchardstown as a location to a retailer
who was considering a move
here?
It is the largest shopping centre in
Ireland with the highest footfall but
we haven’t always been very good
at selling ourselves to be honest.
We tend to get on with our business
and don’t get our photographs in
the paper too often. Now, we are
going through a process to educate
people as to what Blanchardstown
is all about. It’s the largest retail
area outside of Dublin city centre.
Also, our view is that instead of
hearing it from us, they should go
and talk to the retailers who are
currently here trading at the centre.
We know that many of the stores
within the Centre are the top performers in their groups. It will be
more convincing hearing positives
from another retailer. People like to
be beside their competitors, other
strong retailers. So if we already
have Zara, Marks & Spencer and
H&M here, other retailers believe
that they should be here as well.
Shot at
Smithfield Studios
Photographed by
Lili Forberg
Styled by
Isabel Perez
7
Hard Facts
2007 CACI (Retail Footprint Ireland) Rankings
Rank
Centre
1
2
3
4
5
Dublin City Centre
Belfast
Cork
Blanchardstown
Dundrum
The Government Census shows the population of Blanchardstown has
increased by 50% in the 10 years leading up to 2006, making it one of the fastest growing of the Dublin suburbs, superseding other prominent satellites
such as Tallaght, Finglas, Swords and Dundrum.
Comparison goods expenditure
€1,025.9m
€937.8m
€658.2m
€413.9m
€383.5m
The location of the Institute of Technology and prominent multi-nationals
such as IBM, and Bristol Meyer Squibb in the area, along with several
surrounding business and industrial parks almost triples that the shopper
population to 188,859.
Here are some of the reasons to explain why The Blanchardstown Centre is the fourth highest ranking retail
location on the island of Ireland, coming in behind the city centres of Dublin, Belfast and Cork:
Blanchardstown Centre is Ireland’s largest retail and leisure destination and is the no.1
The
ranked centre in the whole of Ireland .
17.5 million people visit the centre annually with an average dwell time of
30% of shoppers visit the Blanchardstown Centre
90 mins.
twice/three times a week, and 15% visiting on a daily basis.
The catchment has a current Comparison Goods Expenditure of
€413.9 million. Which is predicted to increase by 17.5% to
€486.4 million by 2011.
Young couples with mortgages, affluent families and younger urbanites account for 57% of Blanchardstown’s catchment.
The Blanchardstown Centre is located 8 miles (12 km) North West of Dublin City Centre and is adjacent to
The site area of the Blanchardstown Centre is
195 shop units comprising
Also
107 acres (43 hectares) with over 6,500 free car spaces.
1.25 million square feet (116,000 square metres) retail space make up the Blanchardstown Centre.
Ireland’s largest Retail Park destination comprising of 29% of Dublins total supply.
The total catchment of the centre is
1,014,394 with a primary catchment of 321,955 which is set to grow by 15% by 2010.
The Blanchardstown Centre is now set to
8
M50 motorway network .
grow to 2 million square feet (186,000 square m) by 2011.
Easy Living
Blanchardstown is in the process of transforming itself from a shopping
centre to a true town centre. Many of the elements that make up any urban
centre are already in place, however. As well as providing office space for
high profile companies like eBay, the Quinn Group and Fingal County Council,
Blanchardstown offers a fantastic range of leisure activities. Draíocht is an
Arts centre that brings everything from contemporary and classic theatre
to live music, dance and comedy to the Blanchardstown area. In addition to
this, Draíocht regularly exhibits painting and photography in its galleries, and
reaches out to the community with education programs.
The town centre also boasts the largest public library in the country. Cinema lovers are well catered for too with UCI’s nine screen multiplex playing
all the latest releases, providing entertainment for all the family.
Now Green Property are adding a new hotel to open in 2008. Y Magazine
spoke to Enda O’Meara to find out more:
Enda O’Meara
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Enda O’Meara hardly looks old enough to have racked up twenty five years
in the hotel business. Then again it’s a career that has brought him to some
pretty exotic places around the world. Places like the Dutch East Indies
where, some would say, time stands still. He is the managing director of
Tifco Ltd, a company that owns a number of hotels around the country,
including the Crowne Plaza hotel at Northwood where we meet. This four
star plus may be aimed at the white-collar traveller but it looks more boutique hotel than business B&B. The latest distinctive Crowne Plaza is under
construction at Blanchardstown.
Can you tell me about Crowne
Plaza Hotels?
It’s part of the Intercontinental Hotels Group, the largest hotels group
in the world. There are 3,300 hotels
worldwide. Crowne Plaza is their
four star plus business brand, This
hotel [Northwood] was AA business
hotel of the year and Intercontinental Hotels Group Hotel of the
Year last year. That made it number
one for Europe, the Middle East
and Africa, out of over 650 hotels.
So that’s the kind of quality we’ll be
bringing to Blanchardstown.
What do you think the hotel will
add to the Blanchardstown development and the area in general?
A lot of the retailers are UK or
internationally based, and they
would have people coming over
for meetings, training, you know,
things associated with their presence in the mall. We provide a suitable venue for them to stay in. We’d
also provide event facilities for the
wider Blanchardstown area, from
weddings through to conferences,
to food and beverage facilities that
people would look for in a hotel.
In addition we can provide accom-
modation for all the industrial
estates around the area. Here at
Northwood we’re the centre of the
social and cultural scene. There’s a
mix of residential, retail and offices.
We would hope to do the same in
Blanchardstown.
Why did Blanchardstown appeal
to you as a location to expand your
business into?
The mall is continuing to grow.
More and more people are moving
to live in the area and many of the
big companies situated there are
doing very well. A number of major
companies like IBM, eBay, Bristol
Meyers Squibb, Lucent Technologies, all have their headquarters
there. Soon, we’ll have the metro
coming on line, and that will pass
through the centre. Of course
another appealing thing for us is
having the mall and all these leisure amenities on our doorstep so
that our guests have a multitude of
things to do when they walk out our
door. Some hotels are isolated and
there might not be much to do. At
Blanchardstown there’ll be shopping, cinema, bars and theatre.
That’s a great added feature for us.
9
Paul Culhane
Development Director
10
The view from the boardroom at Green Property has a mini Manhattan feel.
Paul Culhane looks out on the new buildings along Hatch Street that hem
in the mature trees filling Iveagh Park below. It could be early autumn in
Central Park, if you let your imagination run away with itself a little. It’s an
appropriate setting then, for the man whose job is to imagine being somewhere else, somewhere that has yet to be created. Culhane joined Green
Property in 2000. His role as development director is to bring together all
the elements of a project, from bankers to architects to engineers, to make
the original idea burst into life.
How would you describe what you
do?
It is a bit like doing a big jigsaw
puzzle because at the start it’s all
jumbled up and you’re thinking how
can I make a picture out of this, but
when it all comes together at the
end you go, wow that was fantastic!
It’s like any journey, the difficult
bits in between where everyone’s
character is tested are the most
interesting. There are always going
to be problems. That’s the only
thing you can be sure of. It’s an interesting game to be in and there’s
a lot of colourful characters in it
because it’s full of people who like
to take risks. You have to speculate
to accumulate.
What is it about your job that gets
you out of bed in the morning?
I’m a development junkie. I love the
unknown factor, taking something
from scratch and delivering the big
picture. You have to be challenged.
I’m not interested in a situation
where you’d come in and do the
same thing every day of the week.
I like meeting new people and
interacting with different minds.
That’s what development is about.
You’re always thinking how can we
enhance this thing we have. Can we
redesign it? How can we add value
to it? Can we do something cutting edge here? Then you go off to
engage the best brains. You present
them with an idea that they can
then put further shape on. So the
architects and designers come in
and ideas evolve. Invariably something very exciting results.
Shot at
Smithfield Studios
Photographed by
Lili Forberg
Styled by
Isabel Perez
When did the idea to build the
expansion to the Blanchardstown
centre come about?
The current centre was ten years
old last October, so we kicked off
an internal debate at the company
as to what does Blanchardstown
currently stand for, and where
does it need to go to. We decided
we needed to look to the future
for a whole load of reasons. With
the passing of time retailers tend
to change. We needed to think of
bringing in mixed uses incorporating additional leisure, restaurants,
residential and civic spaces. When
it was designed originally it was
an out of town shopping centre. It
is currently Ireland’s largest retail
and leisure destination. The retail
is already at 1.25 million square
feet and will grow to 2 million
square feet. Now we want to make
it a town centre. That in itself is a
quantum leap and it’s an incredible challenge. We worked with the
planners in Fingal County Council
and agreed a joint framework incorporating many different facets.
What is the hallmark of a Green
Property development?
At Green Property we directly
manage all our own properties.
What that does is that it allows
you to grow with your customers,
our partners as we call them. So
Green has a longer vision. We know
that we’re making something that
we’re going to retain. You have to
ask, what’s the cost of maintaining this building? What happens in
five years time? And this does alter
your thinking. It alters the kind
of materials you’re going to use.
We find in the long run, and our
bankers would tell you this, that
it’s become our trademark - Green
always builds quality. Our reputation is important to us. Design is a
critical part of it. If you don’t design
something properly from day one
you’ll create problems further down
the line.
How do you see Blanchardstown
ten years down the line?
The vision proposes a range of
new land uses, including residential, commercial, community and
cultural uses, within a high quality
urban environment that promotes
pedestrian activity, sustainable
travel patterns, social interaction
and community integration. It’s a
very big project. We do want to up
the whole quality element. The fact
we’ve chosen to go with a four star
as opposed to a three star hotel
is important. We’re building 96
apartments adjacent to the hotel.
They’re going to be top class apartments. Then when it comes to Yellow Mall, of course, it’s important
to take the design on to the next
level with that too.
11
Can you explain the social context
for Green Property’s involvement
in Blanchardstown?
In terms of the history, Blanchardstown is a planned town centre, built
to cater for Dublin City’s expansion
way back in the ‘60s. Together with
Tallaght and Lucan/Clondalkin,
there were to be three locations for
the planned expansion of Dublin’s
population, with a planned community of around 100,000 for each
of them. It was based on an English
and Dutch model going back into
planning history. In Blanchardstown’s case the residential and the
suburbs came ahead of the retail
element so there was a pent up demand for the retail, and that’s why
we started to provide that in 1996.
The decade that has passed since
then has seen changes in population numbers as well as make-up.
We try and keep up with retailer’s
demands to satisfy the needs of
their customers. The next stage
we’re at is Yellow Mall.
How has the development helped
the area?
When we opened, we called the
centre the Blanchardstown Centre
so it was nothing alien to people.
Most of the people employed lived
locally, so there was an immediate ownership of the centre by
the community. For the first time
people had a town centre, a focus
point and a place to meet of their
own. From that point of view it has
been a remarkable achievement.
Since opening we have added further retail space, offices, civic and
educational uses. Now eleven years
later we’re taking it to the next
level, a place to shop as well as a
place to enjoy spending your social
time in the restaurants, the park,
the public squares.
12
Conor B
Development Manager
With a project on the scale of the development of Blanchardstown town
centre, there is one thing that seems to crop up again and again, no matter
who you talk to. That is that no matter how much planning you do there is
always a problem lurking around the next corner. That’s why Conor Byrne
is a great man to have on your team. He has an easy charm and a warm
conversational manner, great assets when it comes to easing out those
bumps in the road. The ability to keep his head when all around are losing
theirs enables him to focus on the solution rather than the problem. With a
background in urban regeneration, Conor joined the company in 1994, six
months before construction began on the original Blanchardstown Centre.
So you feel that the company has
developed a good relationship
with the community?
Absolutely. We are very thankful for
their eleven years of loyalty. Every
other year we try to add something different and improve the
infrastructure to better their town
centre. We want this to be a place
where people get up in the morning
and say, I want to go into town,
meaning Blanchardstown rather
than the city centre.
What, in your opinion, are the
most interesting features of Yellow Mall?
In addition to the new mix of retail
units and restaurants, the architecture will be striking. The most
interesting aspect is it’s contribution to the evolving sense of place
at Blanchardstown. The scheme
will help connect and integrate the
surrounding uses and public areas
with the existing centre, especially
the retail parks. In addition, we will
have a more energy efficient building which will be cheaper to run for
the individual retailers.
Shot at
Smithfield Studios
Photographed by
Lili Forberg
Styled by
Isabel Perez
yrne
You have been described as a
Fixer. Could you elaborate on
that?
I establish the overall brief and get
the design team up an running. I
would be mainly problem solving along the way. Lateral thinkthrough of issues is best to ensure
everything stays on course. After
fourteen years I know one thing
is for sure, the brief will change,
either through the planning or
design development processes, the
construction end of things or from
the retailers requirements. I try to
stitch it all together.
We’re a very tight team. Myself and
two colleagues, John Murphy and
Roger Semple deliver the complete
development management process. We take it from the cradle to
the grave. Well, hopefully not the
grave, until the retailers are bedded in and running at full flow.
What can international retailers
new to Ireland expect from working with you?
A team approach. We meet retailers early on in their decision
making process, and sit down and
have a coffee with them. We look
at their offer and try to encourage
them to take the right amount and
layout of space, and ensure that
they fit it out to a very high standard to make it fit with the standard of the centre. We hand-hold
them through the fit-out process.
We have a lot of contact with the
utility companies like ESB and
the telecom companies and know
our way around the Irish systems.
This is particularly important for
the retailers who might not be as
aware of the certifications, regulations and the processes here. We’ll
take them through all that. We’re
complimented quite a lot on that,
making life as easy as possible for
them. We don’t burden them with
bureaucracy.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE
BLANCHARDSTOWN CENTRE
It has been a busy few months at Irelands largest shopping and leisure
destination with a host of new arrivals and a number of the existing tenants taking more space...
River Island unveiled a newly extended flagship store of 15,000 sq ft which
more than doubled their store size.
The new TK Maxx and Lifestyle Sports stores in Retail Park 3 at 50,000 sq
ft and 25,000 sq ft respectively are these retailers largest ever outlets in
Ireland.
Portuguese fashion retailer, Salsa with 120 shops worldwide and JD Sports
from the UK have also opened for business.
Swatch, the iconic Swiss retailer chose Blanchardstown as the location for
their first ever Irish store.
Home Store & More and 53 Degrees North were new additions to the Retail
Park tenant line up.
Newbridge Silverware opened only their second ever retail outlet in
Blanchardstown in a new store adjoining Debenhams.
Irish owned chocolate retailer and gourmet coffee chain, Butlers
commenced trading beside Marks & Spencers in the Red Mall. Chocolate
lovers got a further treat when Thorntons announced they too were also
moving to Blanchardstown.
In total 12 new retailers from five different countries have recently opened
at The Blanchardstown Centre.
Opposite: Some of the top brands at the Blanchardstown Centre.
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15
Development Update
Quinn Group HQ
Falcons View Apartments
Retail Park 1
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Retail Park 2
Dunnes Stores
Bus Interchange
YELLOW MALL
Retail Park 3
New Road with access
to underground carpark
New Landmark Building
Shopping Centre
Retail Park
Leisure
Residential
Proposed Metro line
Offices
Civic
M50
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Transport Links
Dublin City Centre
Blanchardstown Hospital
M50
National Aquatic Centre
N3
New Office &
Retail Development
Offices
Ebay HQ
Westpoint Leisure
Debenhams
Westend Retail Park
Marks & Spencer
Penneys
Convenience Retail
UCI Cinemas
Draiocht Theatre
Leisureplex
Library
Sports Grounds
Leisure Block
Fingal Council Offices
Millenium Park
Grove Court Apartments
Coolmine Community
College
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Scheme Layout Plans
Level 2
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Yellow Mall Floor Plans
Second Floor
Anchor Store 5
First Floor
Food Court
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Anchor Store 5
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Ground Floor
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Yellow Style
Yellow Style
Photographer: Andreas Pettersson
la.pettersson@gmail.com
Assisted by: Elin Pettersson
Styling: Karen Finnie
Make up: Katie Derwin
kderwin@gmail.com
Model: L’or @ Morgan the Agency
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Cosmopolitan
In the wake of the super boom the Irish economy has gone through for
the last ten years or so, Dublin has been acquiring more and more of a
cosmopolitan feel. The diversity of nationalities has added plenty to the
mix, and the new multi-cultural Dublin can be experienced in a lot of ways.
The new vibrant capital is perhaps best enjoyed through the city’s vast
array of cultural activities and its bustling nightlife.
Nowadays, the flourishing restaurant business has become an important
aspect of the city. With immigrants from exotic locations and tastes
acquired on travels, the city is surely on its way to building a profusion of
diverse culinary styles.
Here are some examples of what Dublin has to offer:
Piedescalso
78 Thomas Street, Dublin 8
“The Italians have such an harmonious relationship with food that before
they even eat their dinner they engage in a type of gastro-foreplay known as
‘aperitivo’. Between 5 - 8pm Monday to Saturday you can sample the many
wonderful tapas, cold cuts and delights of Piedescalso Art Café with a glass
of wine for the generous price of €8. Piedescalso is one of those beautiful
cafés in Dublin where magical things tend to happen, so come prepared to
smile, laugh and lose your inhibitions.”
La Floridita
Irish Life Mall, Abbey Street, Dublin 1
“What makes this bar interesting is first of all; the music. A Cuban band plays
live every night, something that makes people dance a whole lot more than a
Cuban record ever would. Every time the band took the stage, the dance floor
filled within seconds with everyone from the old Spanish lady, singing along
with every word, to the young girls, high on the supply of Daiquiri’s and Mojitos, eyeing up the bass player with the lowest cut shirt you’ve ever seen.
The second pull would be the cocktails. The rhubarb and honey daiquiri,
the Fuego Manzana and the array of Mojitos are to die for. The interior might
not be that different from any other stylish bar, but the atmosphere is. The
concept attracts so many different types of people and they’re all here just to
have a bloody good time.”
La Floridita
Pintxo
12 Eustace Street, Dublin 2
“What we in the rest of the world, and in Spain particularly, call Tapas, the
Basque people call Pintxo – and rather than coming on a plate is served on a
stick. At Eustace Street in Temple Bar a new venture has opened – very much
in the vein of that tried and tested formula, good wine plus smaller Spanish
dishes equals success.
The menu is inviting and has all the usual suspects. No place for Albondigas apparently but there is Patatas Bravas, Chorizo al Vino, Calamares,
Gambas and quite certainly something to cater for all tastes and moods.
Ports, sherries and fine wine – from the Rioja, Nevarra and Getariako Txakolina regions are the main treats drinks wise.”
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Culture
The Baggot Inn
143 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2
Leon
25 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2
“The old Baggot Inn has been reincarnated. No longer are gigs by U2 or
Tracey Chapman the main draw, this time - eight years after its closure - it’s
the tables with your own private little beer taps that make people flock to
Baggot Street in droves. Those not lucky enough to acquire a seat at these
highly coveted tables can join the crowds at the bar or slip out to the heated
beer garden upstairs.”
“On arrival, we were led up a stairway, through a bizarrely carpeted hall and
arrived in an intriguing little room overlooking the street. It had wood-panelled walls, little lamps, Edith Piaf on the stereo and was highly reminiscent
of a parlour room from a 1950’s Paris Café. The menu is the same for lunch
and dinner, with a separate specials list for lunch and dinner and is cleverly
arranged into starters, mains, snacks, salads, sharing plates and desserts.
The snacks section offers a trio plate of tartines and Croque Monsieur/Madame along with some interesting omelettes and quiches. The wine list is
small but nicely chosen and is predictably predominantly French.”
Enoteca delle Langhe
Millennius Way, The Italian Quarter, Dublin 1
The Baggot Inn
“When the Enoteca first opened, things were very slow – they had six customers on New Year’s Eve. The opening of the laneway down the side has made
all the difference, with its Italian café and food market bringing a true slice
of Italian life to the area. Now the Enoteca is more likely to be bursting at the
seams with a mix of noisy, exuberant Italians and Irish customers.
Everything here is sourced direct from Italy, including the wines - not an
easy task. But it does mean that they can access small estates making the
more interesting wines. The Enoteca boasts some 200 wines, over 75% of
which are from the north-west of Italy.
By day it is more of a restaurant and after 4 o’clock it turns into a proper
wine bar, serving a small selection of excellent Italian foods - cheeses, cured
meats, crostini and salads. There is a changing list of twelve wines available
by the glass, including one sparkling, and a host of bottles to choose from.”
The Winding Stair
Ormond Quay, Dublin 1
“It’s books, cooks and nice city looks. The Winding Stair is a bookshop which
encourages browsing and fosters writers and readers. It now has a separate restaurant upstairs which believes in food, believes in value and treats
its customers with intelligence and respect. It does not overcharge, it uses
organic ingredients where possible and takes its inspiration from Irish food
and local producers.
Why this is so unusual, I’m not sure, but I think it’s not the easiest route
to choose. They do real food cooked with real flair. It feeds into the comfort
zone of Irish cooking, but there is sufficient lightness of touch to challenge
tastebuds.”
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My Dublin...
Sarah Plunkett, 28, Store Manager
People complain about Dublin being small, but I’m just back from four years
in London and I missed that. You notice changes after being away: fashion
has changed, music, art - there’s more going on. And there are so many different nationalities – it’s gotten better. I love the social life here. I don’t go and
sit in a park and reflect on my life, that’s just not me, I’m more social. I like
the pub, especially the South William.
Senator David Norris, 63, Politician and Historian
Dublin has a wonderful location: the backdrop of the mountains,
the sweep of the Bay, the River Liffey. Then there’s the way of
handling language, the subversive wit of the Dubliners, which is
also reflected in the disproportionate contribution to literature.
There’s also the wonderful heritage of Georgian architecture that
survives, especially on the north side.
Mr. Silver, Street Entertainer
Originally from Austria
Dublin is very nice, friendly, although sometimes there are too
many drunken people – it’s eighty percent okay! I like Temple Bar
at night for entertainment, and Grafton Street during the day. The
history, I love it, I heard about James Connolly the socialist, he
was a great man.
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Ciara Elliott, 32, Editor, Confetti Magazine
I like the people, the pubs, the conversation. You generally find a
better level of conversation here than elsewhere, and people will
give you the time of day, stop and chat. Dublin’s major plus points
are the sea and the mountains, although I’m more of a sea person. I feel at home by the sea in Seapoint because that’s where I
grew up, so it conjures up childhood memories.
Yashicas, (ageless), Free Spirit
Originally from New York/Georgia
I love the sense of community in Dublin. People are friendlier
here, and you don’t find this sort of intimacy in other cities. I
love Fallon and Byrne. It has all the things from home, so I never
seem to miss home.
Jenny Huston, 34, Presenter, 2FM
Originally from Victoria, British Columbia
I love the new Dublin: the walkways of the Docklands, the al
fresco dining in the Italian quarter, the markets of Temple Bar.
It’s the old tradition of catching up with friends in a cosy pub that
I adore the most. A pint in the Stag’s Head, a gig in Whelan’s, buying seven-inches in Road Records – that’s my Dublin.
Mark Gordon, 28, Actor
What’s uniquely Dublin? Dubliners – salty Dubs. I feel most at
home on Townsend Street, at my grandparents’ house. I’ve been
going there since I was a kid and I get tea and shovelled full of
biscuits -- I’m constantly choking on biscuits. I love my grandparents, they’re salty Dubs as well.
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Peter Kelly, 52, Van Driver
I drive the van all the time, and real Dubs, they’re special, they’re
friendly, and everyone says hello. It’s a city, but it’s not. I love that
the people seem to mix well. I’m very proud of the National Concert Hall and the Abbey Theatre, and I like what they’ve done with
O’Connell Street and the Garden of Remembrance.
Celia Revilla, 25, Shop Assistant/Translator
Originally from Barcelona
There don’t seem to be any age barriers in Dublin. You go to a
pub and an 80-year old man speaks to a 20-year old foreigner
– everyone’s young no matter how old they are. My favourite spot
is the Amnesty International Cafe on Fleet Street because of the
atmosphere and the food -- it’s very Mediterranean. My mates
hang out there, and it was the meeting point for all of us over the
summer.
Graham Cruz, 29, Stylist
For me it’s all about the people - that’s the thing that I think you don’t get anywhere else
in the world. It’s the kind of place you can go out on your own and always find a friend by
the end of the night. Get on the LUAS, and you’ll always find someone to talk with, you’ll
never be on it alone if you don’t want to. The place for me that feels great is walking my
dog along the Grand Canal. You’re in the centre of the city, but you’ve got the LUAS on one
side, and then swans and ducks. It’s a prettier city than people give it credit for. It might
not be the most fast-paced cosmo, but it’s friendly, and there’s a really warm vibe.
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Michael Owens, 27, Student, and Tadhg, 3
The atmosphere in Dublin is really special
– it’s sort of warm yet aggressive, and
somehow cosy. My favourite part of the
city is around the South Circular Road,
where you get a real mix of Dublin people,
not just people from here: students, immigrants, everyone. I love going to ENFO
with Tadhg, they have a playroom full of
educational toys. It’s great.
John Brereton, 42, Music and Events Promoter
Dubs have a great attitude to life, never take themselves too seriously, and don’t have the outsider paranoia that exists in country
folk. I really love the area near the Fruit and Vegetable Markets,
between Capel Street and Church Street – it has tons of potential.
The Blessington Street Basin is a hidden gem, as are the Botanic
Gardens. And who doesn’t love a walk along the canal between
Baggot Street and Leeson Street?
Tony Dillon, 33, Senior Business Analyst
As a kid I spent a lot of time in the Phoenix Park on my bike, young daredevils. The greatest danger (or so I thought) was a rusty nail that would leave me walking home with my
bike in my arms. I’d like to say that my favourite place is walking along the Liffey, but it
stinks, so having a pint in Mulligans with friends would be it – I’ve been drinking there for
a long time. It’s one of the few pubs in Dublin that hasn’t changed with the times, thank
God.
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Connect with
Blanchardstown
BLANCHARDSTOWN
Dundrum
Blanchardstown is the largest urban area in County Fingal with a population
of over 100,000. The area, which was once just a small town, has undergone
phenomenal expansion and is now so large in its own right that it covers most
of the Dublin 15 postal code area.
The area is reachable by a network of walkways, footpaths and cycle lanes
and the fact that many of the workers in the area are able to walk or cycle to
work is a factor that most shopping centres would love to recreate.
With the City’s push on cleaner forms of transportation and modes of
transport that take up minimal space on roads, it’s no surprise that a large
emphasis has been placed on cycling in Blanchardstown and figures indicate
that as many as 15% of customers walk or cycle to the Centre.
The Blanchardstown Centre is a destination as much as a local centre, catering for shoppers from all over Dublin. While the car is the premium mode
of transport for shoppers in this country, public transport has always had a
strong place in the development of Blanchardstown. The original Blanchardstown railway station opened on September 1, 1848 and the new Metro West
line looks set to continue the fine tradition started by that original venture.
Set for completion in 2013, the Metro West will be similar in style to other
European Metro systems and will link Tallaght, Clondalkin and of course
Blanchardstown with the city centre and indeed with each other. What this
means for the Blanchardstown Centre is that not only city centre dwellers but
suburbanites from Tallaght will be within close travelling range. Metro West
will also link up with the LUAS Red Line further increasing the potential for
West Dubliners to travel by rail to the centre.
As is the case with so many of our capital’s shopping centres, they are best
served by buses above all other forms of public transport and, in fact, The
Blanchardstown Centre boasts over 10% of its shoppers arrive at the centre
by bus as well as providing an excellent service for the centre’s 4,000 staff
members.
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Over six hundred buses come in and out of the centre on a daily basis and
the new €4m bus interchange recently completed by Green Property at the
Centre will ensure the logistical battle of herding so many buses through will
not be lost. It will also cater for planned expansion of the bus routes.
Well aware of its wider appeal, the Blanchardstown Centre has a dedicated
coach park for the many tours that come from Louth, Meath and Kildare.
The park is free and drivers are given meal vouchers for restaurants in the
Centre, as if any encouragement was needed to go there.
An open day for staff and customers is planned for the new year to announce the expansion of the bus services and to make them aware of the
benefits in switching to bus including the fact that the cost of travelling by
public transport can be written off against income tax.
Improvements to the M50 junction will be completed in 2008 and will make
the Blanchardstown Centre even more accessible to motorists in the south
and north of the city. The Centre has 6,500 free car parking spaces to remove
one headache of being a driver in Dublin. The Centre is a family friendly place
and the car is the family’s most popular form of transport. They are well
catered for with a car park of that magnitude.
Getting better and better is the prognosis for Blanchardstown’s transport
health. By showing a commitment to its customers from near and far the
Centre is ensuring satisfaction and most importantly sustained loyalty.
FOCUS ON THE LETTING AGENTS
HWBC
80 Harcourt Street,
Dublin 2, Ireland.
+353 1 775 0500
www.hwbc.ie
Name..................................................................... Eoin Feeney
Company........................................................................ HWBC
Age........................................................................................ 39
Status........................................................................... Married
Children............................................. One and one on the way
Hobbies......................................... Reading, Walking, Football
Favourite Shop................................................. Massimo Dutti
Favourite Shopping Centre............................ Trafford Centre
Telephone....................................................... +353 1 775 0522
Email............................................................. efeeney@hwbc.ie
Name...................................................................Sharon Walsh
Company........................................................................ HWBC
Age........................................................................................ 32
Status............................................................................. Single
Children........................................................................... None
Hobbies........................................... Music, Cinema, Shopping
Favourite Shop................................................ Brown Thomas
Favourite Shopping Centre.... Whiteleys, Bayswater, London
Telephone........................................................ +353 1 775 0511
Email.............................................................. swalsh@hwbc.ie
Jones Lang LaSalle
10 /11 Molesworth Street
Dublin 2, Ireland.
+353 1 673 1600
www.joneslanglasalle.com
Name...................................................................Lisa McGrane
Company.................................................. Jones Lang LaSalle
Age........................................................................................ 36
Status.......................................................................... Married
Children............................................ One and one on the way
Hobbies........................................... Reading and Horseriding
Favourite Shop........................................................... Harrods
Favourite Shopping Centre...... Blue Water Shopping Centre
Telephone....................................................... +353 1 673 1638
Email................................................ lisa.mcgrane@eu.jll.com
Name...............................................................Stephen Murray
Company.................................................. Jones Lang LaSalle
Age........................................................................................ 45
Status........................................................................... Married
Children................................................................................ 10
Hobbies................................................................... See above!
Favourite Shop................................................ Brown Thomas
Favourite Shopping Centre.......... Columbo Centre, Portugal
Telephone........................................................ +353 1 673 1679
Email............................................ stephen.murray@eu.jll.com
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