Dunnes Stores is set to open a new store in the old Playwright pub site in Blackrock, according to Fora.
The Irish retailer has submitted planning permission to the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council which include putting up Dunnes signage on the building as well as new air conditioning systems.
After the Playwright closed it was developed into a TGI Friday’s restaurant by Ciaran and Colum Butler, the owners of Ireland’s Starbuck’s franchise.
The restaurant closed in 2011 and the lot has been vacant since.
Filling Space
Dunne’s new application lists Better Value Unlimited Company as the owner of the building with senior leader Margaret Heffernan among the company directors.
Local councilor Ossian Smyth told Fora that the plans for a supermarket had been spoken about for some time.
“Nobody wants a vacant site in the middle of their area and so means a supermarket for people who live there. The people who live on Newtownpark Avenue, they would have to go to Blackrock for shopping or they’d have to go to Stillorgan,” he said.
Smyth added that there are more vacant sites in the surrounding area that are “hurting the town”.
“I’d be happy if they want to come in and talk to me, I’d talk to them, but if we’re not seeing anything more I’m going to be looking to effectively charging them rates on their empty properties, which they use to get a pass on,” Smyth said.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
