Limerick Businesses Opening

tototoe

Cherrycoke wrote: »

There's working going on in the unit beside the Underdog on Thomas St. today.

Beauty place, a franchise of some sort.

jjoconoor

tototoe wrote: »

Beauty place, a franchise of some sort.

Underdog has closed permanently by all accounts

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^^

wrong thread

Mr E

3rd Starbucks in City Centre (article on Leader).

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/370644/limerick-set-to-get-itsthird-starbucks.html

It's a 90 second walk to the next closest one.

davo2001

Mr E wrote: »

3rd Starbucks in City Centre (article on Leader).

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/370644/limerick-set-to-get-itsthird-starbucks.html

It's a 90 second walk to the next closest one.

That's 89 seconds too long for the Starbucks franchise.

Berty

See the main objector in the article is also a Cafe owner, go figure.

Mc Love

Berty wrote: »

See the main objector in the article is also a Cafe owner, go figure.

Why didnt the open in the spot? Fair play to Starbucks for recognising the potential of that space!

jjoconoor

Mc Love wrote: »

Why didnt the open in the spot? Fair play to Starbucks for recognising the potential of that space!

She is alao the head of numerous business initiatives in the city.

Starbucks has agreed to pay €140k rent per annum for that unit. No local business could even pretend to afford that. Such actions will drive local businesses rent upwards as this will be seen as “market value rent”. Agreed the unit is better occupied than not but a little bit of foresight and planning by the council would be better than filling the city with Starbucks.

RocketRaccoon

They will clean up in that location.

Poxyshamrock

Moan that Dunnes is vacant.
Moan that Starbucks takes an empty unit.

bigpink

Disappointing the council is supporting another Starbucks

Townie_P

jjoconoor wrote: »

Starbucks has agreed to pay €140k rent per annum for that unit

The asking rent was €100k per annum less than 12 months ago. A €40k jump in rent in that period is crazy.

tototoe

bigpink wrote: »

Disappointing the council is supporting another Starbucks

Tbh, beggars cant be chosers. The city centre is miserable, so many empty units, derelict sites. Cant believe how bad its become. How many empty units are on sarsfield street alone
There has been little to no private investment kn the city centre in recent years and it shows, they are still "planning" the upgrade of oconnel street, with no movement,years later and the state of that street is a disgrace.
No chnage to the opera site which is an appalling eyesore.
Apart from thd market itself, which is one day a week, the "market quarter" is laughable.
The streets are generally filthy and many private business in the city centre havent invested in their buildings in years. Look at debenhams and pennys as an example.

Dont think LCC are in a position to turn down anyone. Another starbucks wont do any harm. There arent thst many good independent coffee shops around anyway.

It annoys me to go into town now. Limerick may be getting better, but the city centre is far behind, and going nowhere at the moment

Avatar MIA

tototoe wrote: »

It annoys me to go into town now. Limerick may be getting better, but the city centre is far behind, and going nowhere at the moment

There used to be a great buzz around O'Connell street. But, I'd only ever automatically to go into town for either Christmas shopping (BT) or to buy books (Easons/O'Mahony's) and with online the latter is becoming rare.

It's the car parking really. Why use tight, expensive car park spaces in a city centre when you can drive out to the shopping centres and shop at leisure.

Not sure what LCC can do to change that, but I'd not bet my house on Debenhams being there much longer.

Yes, it's Starbucks policy to pepper stores in a location and it's not as if anybody else is lining up to enter the market. The other problem is Dunnes allowing a prime shopping unit across from BT be, effectively, derelict.

Maybe something can be done re rates.

Cookiemunster

Avatar MIA wrote: »

The other problem is Dunnes allowing a prime shopping unit across from BT be, effectively, derelict.

Didn't someone mention previously that this unit has been refurbished and was to be rented?

tototoe

Avatar MIA wrote: »

There used to be a great buzz around O'Connell street. But, I'd only ever automatically to go into town for either Christmas shopping (BT) or to buy books (Easons/O'Mahony's) and with online the latter is becoming rare.

It's the car parking really. Why use tight, expensive car park spaces in a city centre when you can drive out to the shopping centres and shop at leisure.

Not sure what LCC can do to change that, but I'd not bet my house on Debenhams being there much longer.

Yes, it's Starbucks policy to pepper stores in a location and it's not as if anybody else is lining up to enter the market. The other problem is Dunnes allowing a prime shopping unit across from BT be, effectively, derelict.

Maybe something can be done re rates.

the parking issue, for me is a non issue. Its the same and worse in every other city in the country. Try parking in Dublin for a couple of hours...and that has oodles of out of town stuff. Similarly, Galway or Cork. If you want to drive to town, you pay for parking. I see no real issue with it, although most people seem to have issues with it. There's more parking in Limerick than there is shops at this stage.

The council need to sort out the public realm, O'Connell Street is a joke. Its the main street and its a dump. And keep the place clean...its not that hard..Cruisies Street and surrounds are absolutely filthy. Similarly, that god awful urban garden outside Pennys....good idea, shockingly cheap and tacky execution.

There are lovely buildings all over the city centre in an awful state. The church on Henry Street, just sitting there. The old Printmakers building - literally falling down....Dunnes is only one building....there are so many sites just left there. ( By the by, the Dunnes complex on Henrys Street could really really do with a paint job on the riverfront side. its so badly maintained.

The market area really annoys me. that surface car park is prime for development,....and another one across the road ( part of the Opera debacle). The Old Instore building, just sitting there. The "apartments" beside it, a complete eye sore. Half of Ellen Street empty, yet the council thought little flags on every pole for the "market quarter" were a good spend. Go figure.

The Bishops Quay development seems to be a non starter, months and months after getting planning....still an eyesore.

I could go on and on....but anyone who looks around the city with open eyes can see them all. Starbucks are only a small issue.

Avatar MIA

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Didn't someone mention previously that this unit has been refurbished and was to be rented?

That would be good news, surely they can find someone to rent to that's not a competitor and good PR.

Avatar MIA

tototoe wrote: »

the parking issue, for me is a non issue. Its the same and worse in every other city in the country. Try parking in Dublin for a couple of hours...and that has oodles of out of town stuff. Similarly, Galway or Cork. If you want to drive to town, you pay for parking. I see no real issue with it, although most people seem to have issues with it. There's more parking in Limerick than there is shops at this stage.

Limerick city centre is primarily trying to compete against Limerick shopping centres and not Dublin, Cork and Galway etc.

While you're correct about Dublin in that there is very limited car parking in the city centre (although it's free if you know where to go ) that's the capital and has a huge amount of attractions/employment within the city centre and a vastly better public infrastructure, so it's not a comparison.

Also, other cities are being affected by the hollowing out. Cork being in the news of late.

tototoe

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Limerick city centre is primarily trying to compete against Limerick shopping centres and not Dublin, Cork and Galway etc.

While you're correct about Dublin in that there is very limited car parking in the city centre (although it's free if you know where to go ) that's the capital and has a huge amount of attractions/employment within the city centre and a vastly better public infrastructure, so it's not a comparison.

Also, other cities are being affected by the hollowing out. Cork being in the news of late.

For me, as said not an issue. But I acknowledge other people have an issue with it. Competing with out of town, is a factor, but unless the city center is a "nice" place to spend some time, then parking is secondary.

There is very little to bring people in to the city center and its just not an attractive place at the moment, to either attract shoppers , or more businesses.

Jofspring

Parking excuse isn't great. It's cheaper to park in Limerick compared to other city's in Ireland. If you go past the first and second floors of most car parks in Limerick there are loads of parking spaces.

The on street e-parking is very handy also. If you get a spot on the street you can park the car for as little as 50cents if you only want to stay half an hour. If you can't find a spot right at o connell street or William Street then usually a 5 minute walk up town will get you a spot more often than not.

People are just lazy. Even in places with free car parks people will refuse to park a further 20 feet away and will illegally throw their cars wherever they can to be right at the door.

ongarboy

Avatar MIA wrote: »

That would be good news, surely they can find someone to rent to that's not a competitor and good PR.

They did something similar in Dublin (South Great Georges St) with a Dunnes homeware unit and split it into two restaurants operated by Five Guys and an Asian restaurant. IIRC, they applied for permission to convert the O'Connell Street branch in Limerick into a restaurant too and received council permission - not sure why they are stalling with that project as it doesn't threaten their core product of groceries and clothing.

zulutango

Car parking, or at least on-street car parking, is doing more damage to the city than anything else. Because we're trying to maintain a very small number of car parking spaces (a few hundred at most?) along out streets it means that we can't have good public realm. Good public realm would be far more beneficial in making the city centre attractive to people, and therefore good for retail in general. But the conundrum is that it won't suit a lot of the existing small retailers. Many of these depend on cars being able to pull up and park outside for a few minutes and head off again. Often it's the business owners themselves who require this. How do we solve that?

Cityslicker1

There was definitely more of a buzz around O'Connell street when the bus stop was located outside Brown Thomas but they moved that down the side of Debenhams

It's good to see that unit will be occupied with a modern coffee shop - the rest of that street is like stepping back into the 80's especially from that block up.

They should plant trees on the whole length of O'Connell street - it would really enhance the streets cape & attract more businesses to open as it's such a long wide thoroughfare

I've also noticed the illuminated cones on William street have fallen into a state of disarray - sent a message to the council before Xmas but nothing done

panda100

One thing that struck me while walking around town at the weekend was the actual state of some of the local shops. Aside from O'Mahony's and Silkes's not one shop bothered to decorate their window's for the parade. Roches Street traders in fairness to them also do a lovely job of their businesses during the summer time.

I see Gleesons shoes saying lack of free parking is the biggest issue for city traders. Honestly, his shop on O'Connell Street looks a state. As a fashionable women i wouldn't go near the place, they have bargain bins out on the main street FFS. Businesses also have to step up their game and make the city look attractive to come into. St Patrick's weekend highlighted for me that many are happy to give out about parking but don't appear to put much effort into their own shop windows.

Mc Love

I saw a Scottish town introduced free parking and actually suffered decline in sales

kilburn

More than likely caused by the town employees taking the spaces and shoppers being left with no where to park.

Parking issue in Limerick is a real eye opener it gives a great insight into the mentality of some people in the city.

You have to pay to park in what i imagine is every city in the world why should we get it for free in Limerick.

What really annoys me is the people who park in housing estates close to the city centre and literally block up the estates for the whole day and dont give a damn about the residents access.

The council are a disgrace when it comes to enforcing parking, littering, dereliction and so many other issues in the city. What modern city replaces paving with tarmac for god sake.

Hopefully the local election candidates will run with these issues rather than pc populist stuff in the next election.

Off topic rant i know like last few pages on the thread but back on things opening topic.

Why cant the museum and other attractions controlled by the state be open past 5:30 like the rest of the world if the council are truly advocating improving the city and the livable city concept come on show some leadership.

Cherrycoke

There's a new shop opening in the Market, beside the old donut shop. Big sign up, called 24/7.

Maybe some kind of convenience store?

sioda

Cherrycoke wrote: »

There's a new shop opening in the Market, beside the old donut shop. Big sign up, called 24/7.

Maybe some kind of convenience store?

Yup same crowd who own the 24 hour store on Henry street

Cherrycoke

A new restaurant being fitted on High Street. Where the phone repair shop was previously.

shanmo

Cherrycoke wrote:

A new restaurant being fitted on High Street. Where the phone repair shop was previously.

Hope its something different.