A €500 million expansion of the Liffey Valley shopping centre in Clondalkin, west Dublin, would result in the creation of 4,000 new jobs by 2013, the management of the centre has said.
Barkhill Ltd has lodged an application with South Dublin County Council for a 62,000sq m mixed-use extension with an 8,000sq m civic square providing a public library, civic centre, Fás office and a Citizens Advice Bureau. An extension of this size would change the shopping centre to a “town centre” in planning terms.
The expansion will also include an additional 54,000sq m of retail space, including a large supermarket, two anchor department stores and 60 retail units. Additional parking would be provided by two new multistorey car parks, of which one would be underground, with the capacity for 2,100 vehicles.
The applicants estimate the construction of the extension will provide more than 2,000 jobs and the majority of these workers would be living locally in Lucan, Palmerstown, Neilstown and Clondalkin.
Once the expansion is completed by 2013 a further 2,000 jobs would be created in civic amenities, retail, cleaning and security. More than 70 per cent of the existing workforce in Liffey Valley comes from the surrounding areas.
The shopping centre, which opened in 1998, currently attracts about 10 million shoppers a year. The centre is due to be served by a Luas extension and Metro West.
