Newgate Centre gets go ahead

merlante

ziedth wrote: »

Well said, I for one cant wait if you walk out my door and look right you can see what I beieve is going to be the New Hotel. Great for the shops up this way. However I feel the like of city square could be in trouble although Dunnes and Debenhams will keep a crowd down there.

As long as Dunnes and Debenhams stay in city square, it'll be fine.

When people head to a centre to do some shopping they don't just go to the newest, fanciest shopping centre. People will comb city square, newgate centre and all the streets in between to get the best deals. City square is not quite a big enough 'anchor' for the city centre on its own, and neither is Barronstrand st./Broad st./Michael st, in attracting people from far and wide. But the newgate centre will be, and the benefits will be felt by all the shops in the city centre and beyond.

I don't think that Debenhams or Dunnes will necessarily want to move from city square either. The rents will be cheaper and people will shop there no matter where they are.

Cabaal

Should be interesting to seen how this all progresses, I just hope for everyone's sake that all the "benefits" everyone speaks of happen because we all know you don't like it but there are many nagative aspects of all this and a good chance it could fall flat on its face.

Time will tell and while people can argue until the outcome finally happens all those arguments are pointless

Not The Real Scarecrow

fricatus wrote: »

Oh hello Brendan! :rolleyes:

Its Mr.Mcann ..lol..or as others know me"The Ruiner".
Seriously though not overly thrilled at it,but the majority of peopleseem to want it so in that respect I'm happy for Waterford.I'm not much of a begrudger, and if jobs are generated from it I'll be happy.

Sully

I kind of like the city center but it could be a lot better. I think businesses themselves have a lot to answer for in terms of how their shop looks. In addition, I would like to see the council do a bit more work to keep the place looking lovely and attract more businesses (Cafes are a must). Every little bit helps. I personally would shop both inside in the City Center and out in the major retailers on the ORR. I wouldn't decide to stop going to the City Center as a result and if I found a similar shop in the City Center works out cheaper or better ill keep my business there. Hence why a lot of people are going abroad or to other city's to get shopping because Waterford isn't serving their requirements. If it did, no matter where in the city, people will travel. A link bus and better parking facilities would be an excellent idea.

While it would be great to see retailers like TXMaxx etc. move into the City Center there is no room for them at present so its either we give a little life to Waterford (which isn't great lately) or we refuse everyone and sit on our hands letting the place die because we were selfish. This is why I think this retail development will be perfect for Waterford. Space for more retailers, a hotel in the city center - a lot more to attract people into the city center to-do their shopping rather then going elsewhere only.

Sure similar developments have failed - due to bad planning if anything. The Six Cross Roads block was a major flop but similar ones in that area have been successful, the Railway Square development is just a cinema and apartments since it seems businesses are not happy with the space offered.

largebottle

The owners of the Railway square centre will be delighted at this news, The KRM development will bring new large anchor tenants to the city, with a major anchor comes a variety of smaller retailers all looking for suitably sized units , R SQ has exactly what many of these smaller retailers will be looking for.

Hopefully KRM manage to get one of the major hotel chains to move into the browns lane building, this is another much needed facility in the city center and again will attract people to this fair city of ours!

gscully

wrote:

<snip>

...and hopefully parking will be a lot cheaper. It's sad to notice that whenever I go somewhere like Dundrum or Newbridge, I can shop for ages and not have to mortgage my house to pay the parking fees when leaving. City Square's parking prices are way over the top!

robtri

gscully wrote: »

...and hopefully parking will be a lot cheaper. It's sad to notice that whenever I go somewhere like Dundrum or Newbridge, I can shop for ages and not have to mortgage my house to pay the parking fees when leaving. City Square's parking prices are way over the top!

but if you go th the Illac centre or Jervis Centre in the centre of Dublin, your mortgage of your house wouldn't even come close to covering it... city centre parking is always expensive... its not just City square, which is reasonable after coming from Dublin..

paddy1mac

Obviously as I work in construction i welcome this news with open arms


But.................

From what I hear the funding of this project will be the main problem and dont bank on this project starting in early spring or even next year.

The quay to this project starting will be on what anchor tenants they can get to sign up and how quickly they can fill the remainder of the units. Also it will depend on the current financial standing of the investors...remember things have changed dramitically over the last while and the banks will not fund this too easily

owenmakken

Its just a shopping centre whats the big deal, it probaly wont be filled for 10 years anyway - an economy isn't made by people building shopping centres, at all! look at pongyong, this country needs some strong industry, we need nuclear power and we need lots of it.

pp_me129

merlante wrote: »

a Pizza Hut

Pasta Hut :rolleyes:

Cabaal

robtri wrote: »

but if you go th the Illac centre or Jervis Centre in the centre of Dublin, your mortgage of your house wouldn't even come close to covering it... city centre parking is always expensive... its not just City square, which is reasonable after coming from Dublin..

Waterford is no where near the same as Dublin in fairness

Mocrie14

Did this project ever get off the ground at all?

Max Powers

It was approved by City COuncil and An Bord PLeanala evetually. However, with the delays that happened, they couldnt get the moeny that they had lined up due to the financial crisis. Massive shame as its widely accepted that Waterford City is underperforming on the retail front and has a few big name suitors that want to set up but cant get the appropriate space they need which the Newgate would have provided.

At this stage, I would say it will start at some stage in next 5-10 years when we come out of recession, as it stands, I couldnt see the hotel part of it happening though. Its a shame it never went ahead, delays by City COuncil approving and Brendan McCannt and others cost us hundereds of jobs that would be going for 3 years and the retail jobs then also.

fricatus

Max Powers wrote: »

I couldnt see the hotel part of it happening though.

I'm not so sure about that. I can see where you're coming from, because nationally, we're oversupplied with hotel rooms. However I'd have thought Waterford city is far from being oversupplied. Indeed a nice four- or five-star hotel in the city centre (like the Radisson in Galway, say) would be a great addition to the place.

Max Powers wrote: »

Its a shame it never went ahead, delays by City COuncil approving and Brendan McCannt and others cost us hundereds of jobs that would be going for 3 years and the retail jobs then also.

Well when you consider that Kilkenny is able to support a practically full McDonagh Junction through the worst recession in living memory, there's no reason why Waterford would not have been able to do the same, had it been built in time.

A potential difficulty is the Ferrybank centre, which is lying idle. I think that's a threat to Newgate if it's not handled properly. NAMA will no doubt want tenants in there before Newgate is built, but it would be a mistake to have major retailers put their Waterford presence outside the city centre.

dayshah

fricatus wrote: »

I'm not so sure about that. I can see where you're coming from, because nationally, we're oversupplied with hotel rooms. However I'd have thought Waterford city is far from being oversupplied. Indeed a nice four- or five-star hotel in the city centre (like the Radisson in Galway, say) would be a great addition to the place.

I think some small hotel like Arlington Lodge can be successful, but I doubt there is the demand for something the scale of which was planned.

I know this sounds funny, but the Maryland is in a good location, and is in a fine Georgian building. With the help of some serious renovations (especially that horrible attic conversion), I reckon it could be a classy hotel.

AdMMM

fricatus wrote: »

I'm not so sure about that. I can see where you're coming from, because nationally, we're oversupplied with hotel rooms. However I'd have thought Waterford city is far from being oversupplied. Indeed a nice four- or five-star hotel in the city centre (like the Radisson in Galway, say) would be a great addition to the place.




Well when you consider that Kilkenny is able to support a practically full McDonagh Junction through the worst recession in living memory, there's no reason why Waterford would not have been able to do the same, had it been built in time.

A potential difficulty is the Ferrybank centre, which is lying idle. I think that's a threat to Newgate if it's not handled properly. NAMA will no doubt want tenants in there before Newgate is built, but it would be a mistake to have major retailers put their Waterford presence outside the city centre.

Waterford has the cheapest hotel rates in Ireland because of over-supply. Speaking as someone who works in a hotel, we could probably do with losing one more.

merlante

AdMMM wrote: »

Waterford has the cheapest hotel rates in Ireland because of over-supply. Speaking as someone who works in a hotel, we could probably do with losing one more.

Well this might be the wrong time to drop a hotel given the big facelift and tourism drive the city is undergoing at the moment.

Also, we could do with a 5-star hotel, somewhere like Mt. Congreve, for example.

dayshah

merlante wrote: »

Also, we could do with a 5-star hotel, somewhere like Mt. Congreve, for example.

That could work as a 'resort' hotel. Would it add much to the city.

I still want to turn the Maryland into a 5*

south

Did the place they were going to build out in the waterford crystal sports centre get knocked? I remember they were going to do something like Kildare village.

Max Powers

dayshah wrote: »

I think some small hotel like Arlington Lodge can be successful, but I doubt there is the demand for something the scale of which was planned.

I know this sounds funny, but the Maryland is in a good location, and is in a fine Georgian building. With the help of some serious renovations (especially that horrible attic conversion), I reckon it could be a classy hotel.

totally agree, great location, its just a pity the old fella that owns it wont spend a penny on it and is waiting for the council to fix it up. I have heard he has had numerous exchanges with the council so they are not exactly best of mates.

O Riain

Max Powers wrote: »

totally agree, great location, its just a pity the old fella that owns it wont spend a penny on it and is waiting for the council to fix it up. I have heard he has had numerous exchanges with the council so they are not exactly best of mates.

has potential to be one of the best hostels in ireland if not a boutique hotel.

Hoffmans

slightly off topic but that crazy development proposed by glanbia estates for maypark woods was finally given the bullet by bord whatsitsname,
it was surprising that it had to go that far ,
the city council gave it the go ahead initally which would have resulted in the bare destruction of 100s of years old woodlands to build a few high end yuppie gaffs....