New food-hall and restaurant planned in Dundrum Town Centre revamp

Dundrum Town Centre have been granted permission for a new food hall, restaurant and outdoor space. The shopping centre’s latest development will also be the location for fine food company Fallon and Byrne’s latest retail outlet.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have granted permission for Dundrum Retail Partnership to develop a disused space, known as Pembroke Square, behind the centre’s theatre including a new Fallon & Byrne foodhall and restaurant.

Five vacant two-storey buildings on Ashgrove Terrace, located on Dundrum’s main street, will be refurbished as part of the development, which was approved after a local resident’s appeal to An Bord Pleanála was ruled invalid. A new two-storey building will be built at the rear of the existing vacant structures, connecting Ashgrove Terrace to the shopping centre’s Pembroke Square. This will create a 1,000 sq m restaurant and food hall, with entrances on the main street and the new square, as well as an outdoor seating area and a first-floor terrace.

The new Fallon & Byrne outlet will “reinvigorate a currently underutilised part of the centre” according to property giant Hammerson, the co-owner of Dundrum Town Centre, previously said that

The fine food company already operates a restaurant and retail space on Dublin’s Exchequer Street, as well as outlets in Dún Laoghaire and Rathmines. There are also plans to develop a smaller café or restaurant, a basement-level leisure or entertainment facility and a multipurpose outdoor space alongside the new retail space and restaurant. In the planning permission, it is suggested that the square could be used for events such as food and craft markets, exhibitions, an outdoor cinema, food and beverage stalls or retail concessions.

The plans were initially delayed due to the objections of a local resident but these were ruled invalid by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

NAMA appoint Wells Fargo Bank to handle Dundrum town centre sale

Nama have appointed Eastdil Secured, a subsidiary of the Wells Fargo Bank to handle the sale of the most expensive real asset asset in Ireland, Dundrum Town Centre. The €1 billion loan sale will also cover a number of other properties, with 50% stakes in the successful Pavillions Shopping Centre in Swords and The Ilac Centre on Dublins Henry Street.

Confidence continues to increase that Dundrum, seen as the crown jewel in the Nama portfolio, will attract interest from several sovereign wealth funds as well as some of the largest institutional investors. The loans are due to go on the market towards the end of next month, with first bids due in early August.

Dundrum Town Centre opened in 2005 and covers about 1.34 million sq ft with more than 100 shops, 40-plus restaurants, cinemas, a theatre, and 3,400 car park spaces

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/nama-appoints-wells-fargo-subsidiary-to-handle-dundrum-sale-1.2220191