Omniplex buys vacant Longford shopping centre in expansion move

Omniplex Cinemas is to double the size of its cinema operation in Longford town after acquiring a purpose-built shopping centre that had been close to completion when the property market crashed in 2008.

The Anderson family, which controls Omniplex and has a four-screen cinema next door, will relocate the screens to the first floor of the shopping centre and increase the number of screens to eight. The bottom floor of the cinema will be offered for letting to restaurants, cafes and coffee shops.

Apart from the 6,781sq m (73,000sq ft) of space on the ground and first floors, there are also three levels of car parking with 344 spaces and further commercial space in front of the block overlooking the river Camlin.

Agents Cushman & Wakefield and Sherry FitzGerald McGill handled the sale of the shopping centre, which changed hands for about €1.2 million. The former Connolly army barracks, which adjoins the shopping centre and is now owned by Longford County Council, was withdrawn from the market by the joint agents.