Odeon Cinema, Charlestown Centre, Finglas

datk

bicsoi wrote: »

any update on an opening date?

According to their Facebook page they're expecting to open in November. When the work started (this time around) they were talking about a December 2013 opening. So even though things seem to stop and start it certainly seems to be going to plan.

RATM

November ? Given the cinema building looks more or less finished 6 months seems a long time to get the fit out finished.

Is it possible they don't have a cinema operator to run it ?

Mr Simpson

RATM wrote: »

November ? Given the cinema building looks more or less finished 6 months seems a long time to get the fit out finished.

Is it possible they don't have a cinema operator to run it ?

It may open a bit early, but a cinema fit out takes a long time. Much longer than normal commercial fit outs.

Hannibal

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

I live right beside it and I know people living in Lanesborough, Mayestown and Hampton Wood and they all just say they live in Charlestown because it's easier too.

If they say Finglas, people automatically think Village or West and South etc. so then when they say "Lanesborough in Finglas" people just get confused. Which is why they all just ended up saying Charlestown cos let's face it, most of North Dublin knows Charlestown at this stage. They still say Finglas, D11 when giving their proper address though.

While Metro West isn't a reality right now, it could be in 10-15 years when Dart Underground and Metro North is finished. But obviously in 2007/2008 when that brochure was released, it was a far brighter picture.

the area where Charlestown is was always known as Meakstown or Dubber Cross which is about 50 yards up the road, Finglas used to end at McKelvey as the road to Dubber was basically a country lane with the cottages at the top and The Castle pub/slaughter house on the right. That area in particular is unrecognisable from what it was like 20 years ago when the Finglas by-pass was commenced.

I know a couple of people who say "Cityside" when saying their area and you can see it visibly winds them up when you reply Finglas or Poppintree. The area where Charlestown and Lanesborough is, is basically Finglas North whether the residents like it or not but Dublin 11 is the important part on their addresses, I personally would class Hampton and Mayestown as Poppintree/Ballymun. I think Charlestown is a historical name for a couple of fields nearer to where the M50 roundabout is similar to nearby Kildonan etc in that they appear on old Ordanance Survey maps but very few local even knew of the existance of their names.

And unless there's a Celtic Tiger remark and a further sequel the metro or any rail services coming anywhere near Finglas is a non starter apart from the nearly Broombridge and Ashtown stops to the south close to Cabra. Any future metro/luas etc heading onto the northside will be closer to the N1/M1 trying to take DCU, the airport and probably onto Swords into the equation. Traffic to Finglas and the N2 from town isn't heavy anymore apart from Phibsborough.

Hannibal

is it Bovale and the Bailey brothers still in charge of this new construction? I know they built the initial stage.
I haven't heard anything of them in recent years since they paid themselves over €5m a year and made a €20m plus settlement with the revenue

Peregrine

There's a €13m loan from NAMA but I don't know if the Bailey brothers are still involved. I'd also like to know what the case is.

Hannibal

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

There's a €13m loan from NAMA but I don't know if the Bailey brothers are still involved. I'd also like to know what the case is.

I didn't realise them or their company were near NAMA considering the sums they paid themselves, strange one though.
Anyway this will be the first cinema in Finglas in about 15 years since the two screens in Janelle shut down, think the only other cinema was the Casino where Superquinn is now. There's a lot of multiscreens around within a 10/15 min drive particularly town, Blanch and Omni so there's a small catchment area for this one with only really Finglas and maybe the west half of Ballymun

January

I'd probably head to Charlestown over the cinema in Blanchardstown (I live in Mulhuddart) but it'd a be personal preference, would have to visit it first! I really don't like the Odeon in Blanchardstown.

Peregrine

It opens in November by the way

The previous rerouting of the 40 bus is a concern. It completely disconnects the whole of Finglas West and parts of the South from Charlestown(except the rare 40b).

RATM

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

There's a €13m loan from NAMA but I don't know if the Bailey brothers are still involved. I'd also like to know what the case is.

Namawinelake mentions the Bailey Brothers along with the shopping center in a blog back in January this year. I think the Sunday Business Post did an article on Namas funding of select unfinished developments and the Baileys got mentioned there too in connection with the cinema at Charlestown.

http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/nama-deploys-its-development-strategy-with-e1-5m-of-works-on-grafton-street/

Peregrine

Thanks. So it seems Bovale is still developing it but with funding from NAMA.

The €13m included funding for the two fast food restaurants that opened last year too afaik.

This is only half of phase two. The other half, the site closer to the outside carpark is hoarded off. It was supposed to more mixed retail and apartment buildings I think. I can see why they're not in a hurry to build that right now..

Gumbo

Cinema due to open in November.
Bovale are still working away. They have applied for houses down in the old omega technic site beside Erin's Isle GAA Club.

Peregrine

kceire wrote: »

Cinema due to open in November.
Bovale are still working away. They have applied for houses down in the old omega technic site beside Erin's Isle GAA Club.

You wouldn't know anything about the other half of Phase 2, would you?

datk

As far as I remember it's only the cinema and Leisureplex that is being built - the extra retail bit isn't going ahead (whether that happens in the future I don't know).

This was on display a few weeks ago - I think the final phase was to be a B&Q or Homebase style shopping and it seems to be shelved.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Planning/PlanningItemsOnDisplay/CharlestownVariation-Ends23052013/Proposed%20Variation%20Text.pdf

TrueDub

datk wrote: »

As far as I remember it's only the cinema and Leisureplex that is being built - the extra retail bit isn't going ahead (whether that happens in the future I don't know).

This was on display a few weeks ago - I think the final phase was to be a B&Q or Homebase style shopping and it seems to be shelved.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Planning/PlanningItemsOnDisplay/CharlestownVariation-Ends23052013/Proposed%20Variation%20Text.pdf

Thanks for that link - the interesting this is that the carpark across the road from the centre is defined as temporary. For how long, I wonder?

Hannibal

kceire wrote: »

Bovale are still working away. They have applied for houses down in the old omega technic site beside Erin's Isle GAA Club.

Have you more information on this?
I know it was rezoned and that Bovale did build the adjoining Finn Eber development in the 90's. From looking at maps they couldn't use the existing entrance that Omega used, so the only way I can see would be to extend a road in Finn Eber and you would roughly fit twenty houses into the site.

gurramok

As Hannibal said earlier, i don't understand why they are going ahead with a cinema there. The population numbers do not support a cinema there unless it will be tiny. Too much competition around including Omni and UCI in Coolock(which pulls the audience east of Finglas away) and UCI Blanch(which caters for West of Finglas). Of course its the nearest of all the cinemas to the M50(less than 200m away), perhaps they are trying to draw in the passing traffic on the M50?

To put another spanner in the works, UCI pulled out of Tallaght so why would they keep the Charlestown one?

RATM

gurramok wrote: »

As Hannibal said earlier, i don't understand why they are going ahead with a cinema there. The population numbers do not support a cinema there unless it will be tiny. Too much competition around including Omni and UCI in Coolock(which pulls the audience east of Finglas away) and UCI Blanch(which caters for West of Finglas). Of course its the nearest of all the cinemas to the M50(less than 200m away), perhaps they are trying to draw in the passing traffic on the M50?

To put another spanner in the works, UCI pulled out of Tallaght so why would they keep the Charlestown one?

I am of the same line of thinking- I just don't know where the customers are going to come from to actually sustain it. Especially with Santry, Blanch and Coolock all within a 15 minute drive. Also when the initial plan was approved in bubble times people were going out several nights a week and had decent disposable incomes. We are a long way from that now.

I suppose the other side of it is the NAMA consideration- in fairness to them it is better developed than a building site for when they do eventually sell it off. I can understand the logic of finishing some developments to add value to them for a future sale but the interim could mean that they are building white elephants that will have no customers.

Even the fact that the cinema looks ready but is not opening till November seems to suggest that the operator is wary of opening summer time when people tend to be out and about more than in cinemas. Someone on thread said it is because a cinema takes 6 months to fit out, they never seemed to take that long back in the boom, they just threw them up and opened asap to get into profit.

Incidentially do we know how many screens the cinema actually has ? If they have Too few then choice of films will deter people from going them, if they have too many they'll have problems filling them.

As for the retail in phase 2, I can't see that getting built till Ireland starts seeing steady economic growth again which still looks some way off sadly :mad:

Peregrine

RATM wrote: »

Incidentially do we know how many screens the cinema actually has ? If they have Too few then choice of films will deter people from going them, if they have too many they'll have problems filling them.

Originally it was said to be 9 screens.


I too share similar concerns but even more about the Leisureplex.

January

Plex will be fine as long as they throw a Zoo play area into it. Finglas has been sadly lacking in a children's play centre since the Hurly Burly closed a few years ago. It'll also do well with the snooker and pool crowd.

RATM

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

Originally it was said to be 9 screens.


I too share similar concerns but even more about the Leisureplex.

What is supposed to be going into the Leisureplex ? A bowling alley by any chance ? Or just pool/snooker arcade games ?

Peregrine

RATM wrote: »

What is supposed to be going into the Leisureplex ? A bowling alley by any chance ? Or just pool/snooker arcade games ?

I think it was a 40,000 sq ft Plex with a 10 pin bowling alley, Q-Zar and the kids stuff. I agree that the kids facilities are needed but bowling alley and Q-Zar..

datk

There's an update on their Facebook page - cinema not opening until 'early 2014'.

Muahahaha

Sounds to me like they don't have a tenant yet. And given that there are only limited amounts of cinema operators out there then this project could yet turn into a NAMA white elephant.

podge018

I don't see why there is concerns over it's sustainability just because there are already cinemas in Santry/Coolock/Blanch etc. Why would people continue to go to these places which are further away? I know I'll look to Charlestown first when it opens and there are 50,000 or so people in Finglas/Glasnevin who will do likewise.

Muahahaha

Anyone hear any updates on the opening, it's now early 2014 and it still looks closed. I wouldn't mind but it is now Oscar season so this is the busiest time of year for film releases and big attendances. I normally go to three or four movies at this time of year but might only go once or twice the rest of the year.

dcollins

I'm very curious myself- anyone hear anything about this 9 screen cinema opening? i drive past charlestown 4 times a week and still...nothing?

Sorry if this counts as a zombie thread but it seemed better to post in an ongoing development chat thread than try restate most of what's above. The mcdo's and kfc seem busy and the shopping centre busier lately too.

Peregrine

It said in one of those TDs' newsletter things that it's now due to open in the second half of this year, almost a year after it was finished!

dcollins

Any chance you remember which TD it is? i might send them a mail to ask more details.

Cheers! That was a great quick response :-)

Karen23

dcollins wrote: »

the shopping centre busier lately too.

I'd say it's busier since Tesco in Ballymun closed, people have to travel to Charlestown or Omni for their shopping.