Lidl to replace Tesco in Dundrum Shopping Centre

MoominPapa

Old Centre that is:p
Tribune Article

So as Joe O'Reilly plans to turn a suburban village into a post modern, homogenised, banal pile of retail crap, well he got half way I suppose, are slipping through his fingers like so many grains of sand he turns to Lidl to keep the old wreck ticking over. Happy as I will be buying cheap aubergines a decent butchers, fish mongers, newsagent, bookstore, place to go for a fry up of a w/e morning and an alternative to dreary Deveneys would really lively up the place - so what would be on your wish list? A neighbour of mine tells me that a 2euro shop is going to open up in the recently relocated carpet showroom across the road but that could, should hopefully, be a load of balls

Cookie_Monster

MoominPapa wrote: »

so what would be on your wish list?

Flatten it all and put in something useful like a playground or a gym or a bus depot

Orlee

Well if the proposed plans go ahead it's just going to be a hotel and another mass of empty apartments adding very little real value to the local area.

I just hope that if they do put in a library that the old Dundrum Library is put to good use for the community

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Orlee wrote: »

I just hope that if they do put in a library that the old Dundrum Library is put to good use for the community

The old Library is a listed building isn't it?

Orlee

Bryn wrote: »

The old Library is a listed building isn't it?

I suppose it would be ... would that affect what is could be used for?

FridaysWell

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Flatten it all and put in something useful like a playground or a gym or a bus depot

Thats what Dundrum needs. Although, Tescos monopoly kinda has to get challenged now. . .

Cookie_Monster

FridaysWell wrote: »

Thats what Dundrum needs. Although, Tescos monopoly kinda has to get challenged now. . .

Tesco monopoly? They have a store in the new centre and don't own the old one, how are they involved?

FridaysWell

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Tesco monopoly? They have a store in the new centre and don't own the old one, how are they involved?

Monoploy in the Dundrum area. I don't know if you noticed but the old center isn't too far from the new??

If you live there you don't got much choice. Doesn't make a difference to me, foods food and I like Tesco but it would be better for business in the area if a Lidl was to open.

dogmatix

I thought the old library was to become the new Garda station? Old Andrew Carnegie would be rolling in his grave.

BTW - would anyone know why the mature old trees in front of the old shopping centre where cut down last year? Certainly made main street look bleaker and more run down.

FridaysWell

dogmatix wrote: »

BTW - would anyone know why the mature old trees in front of the old shopping centre where cut down last year? Certainly made main street look bleaker and more run down.

Stupid, stupid urban planners.

MoominPapa

dogmatix wrote: »

BTW - would anyone know why the mature old trees in front of the old shopping centre where cut down last year? Certainly made main street look bleaker and more run down.

They shouldn't have been afaik, it was contrary to the original planning permission and they were removed before the council had approved the revised application. The ground testing was carried out some time after so maybe it was to allow them to get the equipment in more easily or maybe it was to show us plebs that there was no going back, kinda like the way the Soviets massacred the Romanovs...

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

FridaysWell wrote: »

Monoploy in the Dundrum area. I don't know if you noticed but the old center isn't too far from the new??

If you live there you don't got much choice. Doesn't make a difference to me, foods food and I like Tesco but it would be better for business in the area if a Lidl was to open.

Calling it a monopoly is a little silly. If you have a car, Superquinn in Ballinteer and Supervalu in Churchtown are pretty close by, and if you don't have a car, then you're pretty much constrained to the closest supermarket, no matter where you live in Dublin. It's a bit of an anomaly that we had those two Tescos existing side by side (they did co-exist for a while right? I can't remember).

And anyway, there's the M&S in Dundrum Town Centre.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote: »

Calling it a monopoly is a little silly. If you have a car, Superquinn in Ballinteer and Supervalu in Churchtown are pretty close by, and if you don't have a car, then you're pretty much constrained to the closest supermarket, no matter where you live in Dublin. It's a bit of an anomaly that we had those two Tescos existing side by side (they did co-exist for a while right? I can't remember).

And anyway, there's the M&S in Dundrum Town Centre.

Yeah they did co-exist for a while!

FridaysWell

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote: »

Calling it a monopoly is a little silly. If you have a car, Superquinn in Ballinteer and Supervalu in Churchtown are pretty close by, and if you don't have a car, then you're pretty much constrained to the closest supermarket, no matter where you live in Dublin. It's a bit of an anomaly that we had those two Tescos existing side by side (they did co-exist for a while right? I can't remember).

And anyway, there's the M&S in Dundrum Town Centre.

Oh of course its silly.:mad:

The M&S there is tiny. Thats my point if you don't have a car. I know you are constrained to your local supermarket but in alot of cases there is competition e.g local shops offers, another supermarket chain nearby, which is good for the consumer. I was saying there is not alot of that in Dundrum.

Meh

stesh

Amazing to think that someone is mad enough to be moving into the old building, after all the other shops deserted it.

MoominPapa

stesh wrote: »

Amazing to think that someone is mad enough to be moving into the old building, after all the other shops deserted it.

Why are the people moving in mad? In the current climate the rent must be rock bottom. AFAIK the other shops didn't desert it, their leases ran out so they had to find alternative locations. Its the owners that are mad thinking they can arse around for as long as they like and everything will be rosy come what may

omb0wyn5ehpij9

gblh21 wrote: »

Are you sure Lidl are opening up there? There doesn't seem to be a whole lot happening to be honest.

Have you actually seen it in the last 2 or 3 weeks?
Where Tesco used to be has totally changed. It's been built into a Lidl, it has a Lidl sign there and even the car park has been done up for it!

omb0wyn5ehpij9

gblh21 wrote: »

I haven't seen it it the past week or so to be honest!!!!!

Opening soon so???:)

It must be soon judging by the looks of the place, but don't know the exact date!

MoominPapa

Bryn wrote: »

It must be soon judging by the looks of the place, but don't know the exact date!

Don't know for certain but the shelves are stacked - presume it'll be open by the weekend. And then we have the grand opening of Classic furniture to look forward to:rolleyes:

MoominPapa

Bryn wrote: »

It must be soon judging by the looks of the place, but don't know the exact date!

Next Thursday

Aard

The problem with Dundrum Main St is that there are only shops on one side for most of it. I think that if the old Dundrum SC car park was built upon to have shop-fronts on Main St, and then pedestrianise the street, there would be an awful lot more business being done. Turn it into a proper "High Street" - and a counterbalance to the Town Centre to boot.

I know lots of people who can't stand the Town Centre for more than 30 mins - stuffy, crowded, no light - and who would welcome a "City Centre"-like street in the suburbs. I'd think that it would get enough footfall to warrant it as well - many people on the Luas from town get off at Dundrum Stop, rather than Balally, to avoid paying the extra fare zone. These people all walk down Main St. Imagine if there were twice as many retail units there, and the economies of scale that come with them: little cafés, some charity shops, a book-store, specialty food shops, and of course clothes shops.

I'd flatten the current old Dundrum SC, and turn it into a car-park. Also, as somebody suggested above, relocate the library as part of the development plan. (Has anybody seen the new Tallaght Library, btw? It's fantastic - no reason why Dundrum can't do the same.) There is a bus-depot of sorts near the Luas Stop. Its usage could be maximised by having a local feeder bus going around the area - I regularly get the 14/a to Dundrum, and there are so many people who pay full whack just to get from Ballinteer to the Town Centre. A local bus doing a circuit of Churchtown, Nutgrove, Ballinteer, Dundrum could make a fortune, as well as providing a cheaper alternative to Dublin Bus.

Anyway, these are just some of the ideas I've had while stuck in traffic . What do yous think? Should I start emailing the County Council, or is it all just a pie in the sky :pac: ?

SerialComplaint

Aard wrote: »

TAlso, as somebody suggested above, relocate the library as part of the development plan. (Has anybody seen the new Tallaght Library, btw? It's fantastic - no reason why Dundrum can't do the same.)

Tallaght is a great library indeed. There is a plan to put a new Dundrum library, community centre and council offices on the site of the car park opposite Parkers, beside Holy Cross school. Look for DD/399/07 in http://www.dlrcoco.ie/Meetings/2007/DDTEDP/JUNE07.HTM for more details.

The owners of the town centre had their huge plan for phase 2 of the centre on the village side, include hotel, retail and apartments.

I doubt if there is much chance of funding for either of these developments coming through in the medium term.

smilingeyerish

Aard wrote: »

Its usage could be maximised by having a local feeder bus going around the area - I regularly get the 14/a to Dundrum, and there are so many people who pay full whack just to get from Ballinteer to the Town Centre. A local bus doing a circuit of Churchtown, Nutgrove, Ballinteer, Dundrum could make a fortune, as well as providing a cheaper alternative to Dublin Bus.

there was a bus like this a year or so ago, the locolink. its bus stops are still up along the route. it failed completely, only one or two people used it regularly. it stopped running because there was no demand what so ever.

you would think it would do better, but no!

MikeHoncho

Grrrr. Pay barriers have gone up on the carpark. Used to be able to just park up free for a minute or 2 when collecting someone off the luas which was handy.

MoominPapa

:)The Fruit Palace has opened up in the old centre, after moving from Churchtown. Only open today but looks like it could be a real gem. Good range of fruit and veg and pretty good value - 5 apples for 1.80 and 25kg sacks of Maris Pipers for 15quid for example. Also bread counter, which was sold out by this evening and a not so great cheese counter along with various dry goods, oils and such. Nice shop - hope they do well and heres hoping the other shops will also add some vibrancy to that end of the village - one will be a butchers - but which one?

witchity

Aard wrote: »

Imagine if there were twice as many retail units there, and the economies of scale that come with them: little cafés, some charity shops, a book-store, specialty food shops, and of course clothes shops.

I'd flatten the current old Dundrum SC, and turn it into a car-park. Also, as somebody suggested above, relocate the library as part of the development plan.

I would hate to see a huge car park in place of the old SC. Dundrum is a village, not just a thorough fare for people going up to the Town Centre. After seeing Lidl opening up yesterday and the little fruit shop, this is the kind of thing that Dundrum Village needs. More speciality shops: a bakery, fishmongers, maybe a good italian type deli, a decent bookshop. I think having 3 charity shops in a tiny village is enough already, and there are more than enough clothes shops in the TC to keep anyone happy.

KC61

Aard wrote: »

There is a bus-depot of sorts near the Luas Stop. Its usage could be maximised by having a local feeder bus going around the area - I regularly get the 14/a to Dundrum, and there are so many people who pay full whack just to get from Ballinteer to the Town Centre. A local bus doing a circuit of Churchtown, Nutgrove, Ballinteer, Dundrum could make a fortune, as well as providing a cheaper alternative to Dublin Bus.

Full whack??

It's EUR 1.15 from the top of Broadford Road to Dundrum Church, and EUR 1.60 from the rest of the area as far back as Beaumont Avenue. That is hardly expensive, and I can assure you that no operator could afford to offer a cheaper fare without a subsidy.

With the 14/14a, 48a and 75 there are buses at least every 15 minutes Monday/Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sundays, which is a perfectly adequate service.

Locolink failed because they had no integrated ticketing with LUAS (unlike Dublin Bus) and were competing with an existing high frequency Dublin Bus service. It was doomed from the word go.

Aard

Witchity, you seem to have missed my point. I wasn't talking about turning the village into a thoroughfare for the Town Centre, rather I said pedestrianise the Main St as a balance to the Town Centre. There are many people who dislike shopping in the TC, but are forced to because the shops aren't in the Main St. The shops aren't locating there because there's no economy of scale. So, what I suggesed was more shop frontage on the Main St, which would give back the Village feel.


KC61, I see your point. Perhaps it's just me who thinks €1.15 is pretty expensive for a distance that could be walked in 10 mins .

KC61

Aard wrote: »

Witchity, you seem to have missed my point. I wasn't talking about turning the village into a thoroughfare for the Town Centre, rather I said pedestrianise the Main St as a balance to the Town Centre. There are many people who dislike shopping in the TC, but are forced to because the shops aren't in the Main St. The shops aren't locating there because there's no economy of scale. So, what I suggesed was more shop frontage on the Main St, which would give back the Village feel.


KC61, I see your point. Perhaps it's just me who thinks €1.15 is pretty expensive for a distance that could be walked in 10 mins .

If you can walk from the top of Broadford Road to Dundrum Village in 10 minutes then you are truly superhuman.

It is at least 25 minutes walk!

Aard

I was thinking more from the roundabout at the top of Barton Rd, near Marley Court. But no matter, I'm just splitting hairs! :V

garbanzo

MoominPapa wrote: »

:)The Fruit Palace has opened up in the old centre, after moving from Churchtown. Only open today but looks like it could be a real gem. Good range of fruit and veg and pretty good value - 5 apples for 1.80 and 25kg sacks of Maris Pipers for 15quid for example. Also bread counter, which was sold out by this evening and a not so great cheese counter along with various dry goods, oils and such. Nice shop - hope they do well and heres hoping the other shops will also add some vibrancy to that end of the village - one will be a butchers - but which one?

Is "The Fruit Place" gone? I was up in Dundrum recently and it appeared to be closed. Hope not, though I always thought it was a bad move from their old spot in Churchtown. Anyone know the score??