Stores opening or re-opening in Sligo

fillefatale

Carson10 wrote: »

Drove down O'Connell Street today. Its looking like a right Kip. Pretty embarrassing. Closed shops, dirty paving, and grubby shopfronts. Pitty the shop owners dont take a bit more pride.

Yep, I've counted 7 empty units, great message for tourists walking down our main street.

hugo29

fillefatale wrote: »

Yep, I've counted 7 empty units, great message for tourists walking down our main street.

remember that when the muppets come looking for a vote next may

Carson10

fillefatale wrote: »

Yep, I've counted 7 empty units, great message for tourists walking down our main street.

Too true! Even to see the old bistro bianconi shop is a real shame. It went from a focal point where one could watch the chef prepare and bake pizzas, to boarded up.

Closed shops now:

Bistro Bianconi 'former premises'.
Cavanaghs Bar
The building on the corner of Castle street/O'Connell Street.
A-Wear
The Meteor Shop

It would only take one person with the authority and creative imagination to transform O'Connell street for very little money.

We will just have to wait and see if the 2014 Fleadh this summer brings about a change.

fillefatale

hugo29 wrote: »

remember that when the muppets come looking for a vote next may

Its the same muppets running every year, absolutely nothing changes in this country - same lads in suits promising this that and the other with no intention of doing anything but hanging on to their seat and 'prestige' in their locale. No wonder so many people chose to emigrate rather than tolerate the same cronyism in each generation.

T-Bird

it is quite bad here but I think it is a feature in today's world. IMO online shopping could be the main reason, b&m shops on the high street are on decline everywhere.

Of course the upward rising rent charges etc are not helping in any way.

red sean

If more people shopped in Sligo instead of online or across the border there would be a better chance of businesses surviving.
I fail to see what it has to do with local politicians unless they own the premises or the Borough Council do. Which I doubt.

Bebo stunnah

red sean wrote: »

If more people shopped in Sligo instead of online or across the border there would be a better chance of businesses surviving.
I fail to see what it has to do with local politicians unless they own the premises or the Borough Council do. Which I doubt.

They're who set the rates. I'd agree with the fact that the internet has had it hand in what has happened.
I'd much prefer to spend an age in traffic with some of the most ignorant drivers in the country, to find a place to park so I could pay some of the highest charges in the country. Then on the off chance that I find what I want, pay twice the price as what it would cost to get it sent to my door.

Carson10 wrote: »

Closed shops now:

Bistro Bianconi 'former premises'.
Cavanaghs Bar
The building on the corner of Castle street/O'Connell Street.
A-Wear
The Meteor Shop

Carl Scarpa and the old Aviva offices are empty too

another question

Carson10 wrote: »

Drove down O'Connell Street today. Its looking like a right Kip. Pretty embarrassing. Closed shops, dirty paving, and grubby shopfronts. Pitty the shop owners dont take a bit more pride.

I don't think that is totally fair. For the shops that are left, the majority take pride in their shop fronts. I work in one which I won't mention but we mop our steps and wash the tiles and windows every morning.

The likes of Moffatts and Mullaney's take great pride in their shop fronts as do Penney's, Brodricks, the new tourist office, Tohers etc.

So I would actually like to know which shops you are referring to.

hugo29

red sean wrote: »

If more people shopped in Sligo instead of online or across the border there would be a better chance of businesses surviving.
I fail to see what it has to do with local politicians unless they own the premises or the Borough Council do. Which I doubt.

Lack of foresight by our so called public rep, in the boom times while every other town in ireland was growing we went backwards, we went from 9th largest urban centre to what 15th, some brainwave to ship everyone out to all the surrounding villages, no wonder premises in town are closing, no one living there anymore
and then any major retailer who tried to come to town were blocked,

red sean

I'd imagine rent costs rather rates are the big problem for anyone who doesn't own the premises.
If we were still 9th largest urban centre we'd probably have even more shut down shops because the problems would still be there, just on a larger scale.
Many of the towns that expanded rapidly in the era of the false economy are actually more derelict than Sligo.
Hate to hear people constantly running down Sligo and using politics as the excuse. If someone feels so strongly about it, the elections are coming up and put yourself forward. Always good to see someone trying ,at least, to make changes rather giving out about those who have been elected.

hugo29

red sean wrote: »

I'd imagine rent costs rather rates are the big problem for anyone who doesn't own the premises.
If we were still 9th largest urban centre we'd probably have even more shut down shops because the problems would still be there, just on a larger scale.
Many of the towns that expanded rapidly in the era of the false economy are actually more derelict than Sligo.
Hate to hear people constantly running down Sligo and using politics as the excuse. If someone feels so strongly about it, the elections are coming up and put yourself forward. Always good to see someone trying ,at least, to make changes rather giving out about those who have been elected.

nobody running it down, frustrated with things as we are all proud of our county,

size of the urban centre is population based, the more people we have in a centre the more custom there is for the shops, the population of a lot of the surrounding villages has doubled and trebled in some cases and no amenities to match
its not that easy to go forward, you have to go to a convention to get selected as a candidate, you wont get that without party backing and to go as an independent, well financially that would rule a lot of us out

ah look it will never change, its just so frustrating to see the town stagnate

cena

Is call of the Wilde still in Sligo?

another question

cena wrote: »

Is call of the Wilde still in Sligo?

Yes. It moved from Stephen Street to a premises in Castle Street. Nice store but I bit out of the way imo. I keep forgetting about. I used to be over and back Stephen Street a good bit and used to pop in, not so much now though.

I probably go as far as Heatons and that's only if I want something specific in there. Heatons isn't really a place I'd go for a browse.

cena

Must be 12 years since I was in it. I used to like going in when visiting friends up there

shellyriver

hugo29 wrote: »

Lack of foresight by our so called public rep, in the boom times while every other town in ireland was growing we went backwards, we went from 9th largest urban centre to what 15th, some brainwave to ship everyone out to all the surrounding villages, no wonder premises in town are closing, no one living there anymore
and then any major retailer who tried to come to town were blocked,

Couldn't agree more.

With Sligo town's traditional existing commercial community in terminal decline by the 1990s this was compounded with the unwillingness of the Local Authority to accept the reality of modern shopping (even on a limited and controlled basis) ie out of town shopping.

Compound that with failed Treasury Block project -- promoted by top Town Hall staff. The intention to promote in-town shopping was little more than a smoke-screen to protect the vested interest in this failed scheme.

On top of that the Mid-Block route destroyed the built fabric parts of town - despite it being built to simply to provide a quick artery for a shopping centre to get into the proposed Treasury.

We then have resultant crazy traffic schemes around Sligo to facilitate this change and there will soon be more of the same if the proposed bridge over to the Hospital goes ahead. All of these features significantly reduce the attractiveness of the town centre.

The tin hat on all this abject denial of commercial reality throughout the 1990s and 2000s, some local councillors' imbecile acceptance (doubtless based on the assurances of Local Authority staff advice a la Lissadell approach) and mouth-pieces that all was well. Even in the dog days of the Treasury debacle, some of those who said it was going ahead and are back looking for re-election, claimed the contract for Treasury was going ahead even when it was obviously dead in the water.

What was worse was that two significant and ambitious Sligo town businessmen were blocked in their plans around Wine Street car park - I will not comment on Sligo Corpo's relationship concerning Buttermarket (but I have spoken to the owners personally about this) and their views were very instructive.

Re extreme rural resettlement, I was told of farmers from outlining areas actually attending County Council buildings during relevant meetings to forcibly impress upon interested individuals the need to their agricultural lands re-zoned for housing - all round, quick buck b*ll**** mentality.

With the exception of Johnston Court - most of what new development in Sligo was very poor. No ambition in design and little focus on innovative development. Inability of local authority to bring key projects over the line, poor leadership etc, etc.

Egos, careerists seeking promotion, vested interests, limited and untalented thinking and greed were at the bottom line of what was a perfect storm that has seen Sligo's star very much slip and decline.

We lived through a zombie 20 year period of local government incompetence, greedy developers and the general ordinary public 'bought into the buying a holiday home in Bulgaria' when the country was teetering on the brink (and the likes of Brian Lenihan and Brian Cowan, and the bankers kept on spinning).

When I was a kid, Sligo was a vibrant town with great shopping and a sense that if handled correctly it could be a real regional centre.

Now its a rather sad and disjointed location with a most uncertain future, like most of Ireland, with the exception of a few selection locations in this insignificant little wet island.

Plazaman

shellyriver wrote: »

..... this was compounded with the unwillingness of the Local Authority to accept the reality of modern shopping (even on a limited and controlled basis) ie out of town shopping......

Should have been rebranded the "Sligo Chamber of No, We Don't Want Commerce" back in the mid 90's.

dingding

Local elections coming up, you should give your feedback on the doorstep and ballot box.

Bebo stunnah

The Michael H shop on Wine St. has closing down signs on the window. Were they an old lady clothes shop or something?

another question

Bebo stunnah wrote: »

The Michael H shop on Wine St. has closing down signs on the window. Were they an old lady clothes shop or something?

Yes they catered for the older lady. I think a Sligo women ran it for a long, long time, many years but then in the downturn it changed hands and obviously they couldn't turn things around either.

Not a shop I would ever frequent but I knew a lot of older women that liked it. Shame, another one gone.

Mint Sauce

Is there no shops opening in Sligo.



Although driving down Wine Street earlier I did noting a sign with I think 'Boys Toys' over the door, beside GameStop. Shop looked bare at a glance, a new opening prehaps?

Bebo stunnah

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Is there no shops opening in Sligo.



Although driving down Wine Street earlier I did noting a sign with I think 'Boys Toys' over the door, beside GameStop. Shop looked bare at a glance, a new opening prehaps?

There was a crowd selling the likes of quads or RC cars/planes. Think they had something today with the people that run the paintball in town?

Anyways, it was just a pop up shop for Christmas

prodsc

Barna Waste have opened a shop/office in Wine St car park!!!

Kettleson

prodsc wrote: »

Barna Waste have opened a shop/office in Wine St car park!!![/QUOTE

Where there's muck there's brass.

AgileMyth

Nice one. I'll leave a few bags of rubbish on their doorstep.

Mint Sauce

AgileMyth wrote: »

Nice one. I'll leave a few bags of rubbish on their doorstep.

Would be handy to get around their new charges.

another question

another question wrote: »

Yes they catered for the older lady. I think a Sligo women ran it for a long, long time, many years but then in the downturn it changed hands and obviously they couldn't turn things around either.

Not a shop I would ever frequent but I knew a lot of older women that liked it. Shame, another one gone.

A ladies shop for ladies! Sorry,couldn't resist,watching Little Britain on Gold last night!

Mint Sauce

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Would be handy to get around their new charges.

The way things are going, I forecast rubbish being dumped in woods and up on mountains because of these new price changes!

FoxyVixen

Can't find the stores closing tbread.

Some may have been aware of this but I only heard from the girl working there today.

MAD in johnston court is a pop-up shop. Open until the end of the month anyway and see from there. Never knew their card payments were in sterling and individual banks could charge extra for currency conversion.

So most likely another shop gone soon.

Mint Sauce

FoxyVixen wrote: »

Can't find the stores closing tbread.

Some may have been aware of this but I only heard from the girl working there today.

MAD in johnston court is a pop-up shop. Open until the end of the month anyway and see from there. Never knew their card payments were in sterling and individual banks could charge extra for currency conversion.

So most likely another shop gone soon.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58321897

All the stock in it, plus the shelving, all seemed to be from the former HMV anyway.

Doesn't seem to have any real layout either in terms of genre or anything in alphabetical order.

FoxyVixen

Cheers, was on the phone when I text that and got tired looking for it