The fast-growing Co Kildare town of Maynooth is to get a new shopping centre. The new owners of Kavanaghs Mill is to lodge a planning application shortly for a mixed development which will include up to 130,000 sq ft of retail space, 15,000 sq ft of offices, a bar/restaurant, 250 apartments and a 900-space basement car-park.
The £50 million scheme is being promoted by the leading hotelier John O'Sullivan and Irish Town Developments who had a 50 per cent stake in the Island Shopping Centre in Athlone. The consortium paid £7.6m (€10.69m) for the mill on 3.9 acres and subsequently acquired an adjoining house and land to bring the overall site up to 5.3 acres.
With existing planning permission for a hotel and apartments on the site, it was thought that Mr O'Sullivan would proceed with the scheme given his success in owning and running Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill and the Hudson Bay in Athlone. However, the site is also zoned for town centre use, making it ideal for a supermarket, department store and up to 25 shops.
The promoters are understood to be in discussions with Dunnes Stores, Superquinn and SuperValu on the sale of the 35,000 sq ft supermarket.
If Dunnes emerges as the chosen anchor, they may be offered an additional 35,000 sq ft for the department store.
SuperValu already trades out of the Glenroyal Centre in Maynooth.
The new complex, which is being designed by architects Brian O'Halloran and Associates, will be in direct competition with the newly opened Tesco store which replaced an earlier outlet.
A retail study has shown that a huge number of shoppers are leaving the Maynooth area each week to shop. The Maynooth centre is expected to attract shoppers from a wide area including Celbridge, Kilcock and Dunboyne.
