€500m expansion plan for Pavilions centre

A planned expansion of the Pavilions shopping centre in Swords would result in the facility becoming a regional retail complex

THE OWNERS of the Pavilions shopping centre in Swords, north Dublin are to seek planning permission for a major expansion which will allow it to be upgraded to a regional retail complex on the M1 corridor.

Chartered Land is to lodge a planning application today to provide an additional 63,1712sq m (680,000sq ft) of retail space which will bring the overall size of the shopping facilities to more than 92,903sq m (1 million sq ft). The proposed extension will also include 15,607sq m (168,000sq ft) of offices in four blocks and 191 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

The promoters will be spending around €500 million on the extension which is expected to be completed by 2013. Around 3,000 jobs will be created during construction and overall employment in the centre is due to rise to about 4,000 when it is fully operational.

The retail element will provide for two department stores to be occupied by Marks Spencer and House of Fraser along with a further 100 small and large retail units.

Chartered Land says its plans for the Pavilions reflect Fingal County Council's overall masterplan for Swords which envisages a city of over 100,000 people with improved shopping facilities and strong commercial, cultural and social amenities.

Dominic Deeney, chief executive of Chartered Land, said they had been particularly conscious that their plans for the Pavilions would be totally in keeping with the evolving council plans for Swords. While their expansion plans could well stand alone on their own merits, they would be all the stronger in the context of the many developments envisaged within the council's masterplan.

The extension will incorporate a number of new naturally ventilated public streets, meeting places and exhibition spaces - all covered by a high level glass roof. Lightweight and transparent, the roof structure is an essential element in the scheme as it will provide year round protection from the elements.

Chartered Land is planning to provide over 40 new restaurants and street cafés as part of a new social and cultural district. The expansion will also include a medical centre, crèches, community rooms and day-care centre.

The new buildings have been designed along energy efficient lines and, according to the promoters, will save more than 6,500 tonnes of Co2 annually - the equivalent of electricity demands for 1,800 homes.

Chartered Land, a privately-owned company controlled by businessman Joe O'Reilly, is one of the biggest players in the Dublin shopping centre market, having bought the Pavilions in 2006 for €575 million. It later sold on a substantial interest in it to Irish Property Unit Trust and Irish Life for around €240 million.

The centre is attracting more than 200,000 visitors a week and this is expected to grow rapidly once the retail offering is expanded further. The success of the complex has helped the owners to negotiate rent increases of between 60 and 100 per cent in recent months, pushing the rent roll close to €13 million.