Stillorgan Shopping Centre gone

zagmund

I was passing by the place where Stillorgan Shopping Centre used to be the other day and there it was - gone. Replaced by something dreamed up by a marketing department somewhere called "Stillorgan Village", joining Blanchardstown & Dundrum "Town Centre"s in my list of place names I hate because they'ye just plain wrong.

I know my own definition of Stillorgan village (of old) is probably wrong, but to me the village starts at Stillorgan Orchard, goes up the hill, includes the Nimble Fingers strip & the Baumanns strip. I reckon that Stillorgan Shopping Centre was built on top of what used to be village anyway, but it's just wrong to call a single commercial enterprise (instead of multiple enterprises) a village.

That is all. I just had to register my annoyance somewhere.

z

silverharp

sounds like trying to dress up mutton as lamb, Stillorgan shopping centre and cournelscourt might have been exotic in the 1970's , now they are just badly designed , outdated and difficult to park and the objective is to get in and out as quickly as possible

Aard

It was given a revamp once Treasury went bust. There had been plans to develop that site in conjunction with the two other corners of the crossroads there. They had stopped renewing leases so it became a bit ghost-town-y for a while, but when they started renting out units again it came back to life. There's huge demand for Stillorgan SC and calling it 'Village' attempts to differentiate itself as a calmer alternative to Dundrum 'Town' Centre.

huskerdu

I agree with the OP. Dundrum Shopping Centre is a shopping centre, not a town centre and Stillorgan Shopping Centre is a shopping centre, not a Village.

Having said that, I like Stillorgan Shopping Centre. I know the building is very outdated, but I still like it.

I like that it has an old proper butcher with a good fishmonger, and a kiosk selling hoover bags and Dubray Books and a post office. I like that it is not all bling and flash. I like that its a bit calmer than Dundrum and has more of a local feel.

coylemj

They made several attempts to redevelop (i.e. enlarge) it but the locals shot it down because of well-founded fears over traffic gridlock. Plans included an underground car park so there would have been more surface space for shop units.

It gradually went downhill a few years ago and would have died altogether but for Tesco (supermarket and separate large off-licence) and McDonalds, both of which ensure a constant footfall. The arrival of Starbucks and Donnybrook Fair have given it a new lease of life in recent times.

I believe it was the first purpose-built shopping centre in the country when it opened in the 1960s.

Huntseeker

Have to agree with huskerdu here, I also like the shopping centre. It's very handy for locals, and thats exactly what a shopping centre should be in my opinion. Unlike Dundrum etc. it has various unattractive retail units, but they are extremely practical and provide a good service for everyday living needs. Having seen it develop a new lease of life(grudgingly giving some credit to Starbucks here) and essentially save itself from what seemed to be an inevitable shutting down had it continued to lose unit after unit, I have to say it's good to have somewhere like it. It means there is an alternative for people to pick up certain things without having to go to a Super shopping centre.

NoCrackHaving

zagmund wrote: »

I was passing by the place where Stillorgan Shopping Centre used to be the other day and there it was - gone. Replaced by something dreamed up by a marketing department somewhere called "Stillorgan Village", joining Blanchardstown & Dundrum "Town Centre"s in my list of place names I hate because they'ye just plain wrong.

I know my own definition of Stillorgan village (of old) is probably wrong, but to me the village starts at Stillorgan Orchard, goes up the hill, includes the Nimble Fingers strip & the Baumanns strip. I reckon that Stillorgan Shopping Centre was built on top of what used to be village anyway, but it's just wrong to call a single commercial enterprise (instead of multiple enterprises) a village.

That is all. I just had to register my annoyance somewhere.

z

Not exactly, there never really was much of a village existing there on old OS maps, it was mostly agricultural land.

zagmund

Hmm. According to here - http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,720103,728042,7,7 - the village (in other words the houses that existed in Stillorgan) were along the axis as described. The main area of the shopping centre was built over fields/gardens, but the road frontage would have been built over a good 20% of the buildings in the village.

See also here - http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,720103,728042,7,9 - the strip where the chippers are was just fields, but across the road (the taxi rank for the shopping centre) was all housing.

z

JupiterKid

Stillorgan was the very first purpose built shopping centre in Ireland when it opened in November 1966.

It looks and functions a lot better than many shopping centres half its age.

annieoburns

Stillorgan is my favourite, yes the first and the best. It is so pleasant to stroll the open air malls even one that is usually sunny. It is a place to see familiar faces. I am glad the redevelopment did not get ahead, it would have become a 5 storey monster with enclosed malls.

I avoid the main carpark and use the overflow or walk/bike. Easy enough to walk about from there. There is the library at back of bowling alley, office/print shop beside Nimble fingers, banks, building society, credit union, opticians,dentists and doctors. Oh and the cinema with Costa Coffee outlet and an Aldi with its own carparking. And not forgetting the Blood Bank along past Baumans. And the swimming pool, hopefully soon to get a makeover.

Where do you get kiddies shoes these days? And where to buy childrens clothes. I do miss the Arnotts shoeshop but am glad to see the shoe repair place continues. He must be one of the few original uses from back in the day?

The shopping centre involved the demolition of old mud walled cottages that lined the road up to the cross roads. I had a good view from top of bus as passed by 4 times a day. Apparantly the rubble from the site was used as fill to develop the Glenalbyn playing fields

huskerdu

coylemj wrote: »

They made several attempts to redevelop (i.e. enlarge) it but the locals shot it down because of well-founded fears over traffic gridlock. Plans included an underground car park so there would have been more surface space for shop units.

It gradually went downhill a few years ago and would have died altogether but for Tesco (supermarket and separate large off-licence) and McDonalds, both of which ensure a constant footfall. The arrival of Starbucks and Donnybrook Fair have given it a new lease of life in recent times.

I believe it was the first purpose-built shopping centre in the country when it opened in the 1960s.

The background to this is that the owners were hoping to do a massive redevelopment, including an under ground car park. For years, when they were submitting the plans, they were obviously reluctant to spend any money on the place, as they hoped to knock it down.

Their plans were rejected by the Council and only then did they do the place up.

I agree with the comment by someone that is is a local shopping centre and along with the shops across the road and close to it, serves the local area very well.

coylemj

huskerdu wrote: »

The background to this is that the owners were hoping to do a massive redevelopment, including an under ground car park. For years, when they were submitting the plans, they were obviously reluctant to spend any money on the place, as they hoped to knock it down.

Their plans were rejected by the Council and only then did they do the place up.

+1 The uncertainty about the redevelopment meant that none of the existing tenants were prepared to spend any money upgrading their shops pending the rebuild. I remember the fridge and freezer units in Tesco were so clapped out that you could hear all of them rattling as you walked around the store, the place was falling apart.

The owners eventually threw in the towel on the redevelopment, Tesco closed for about 10 days to do a major upgrade and then Starbucks and Donybrook Fair arrived.

Aard

There was a planning application to add a restaurant development beside Tesco but it was refused by DLR Co Co.

fjon

Silly name aside, I think Stillorgan is one of the better shopping centres on the south side. It's pleasant to walk through and has a decent selection for a place it's size. Parking at certain times is not great but there's always space in the overflow.
While it may have had a couple of empty units before DF/ Starbucks arrived, I don't think it was ever going to slow down - the car park was always fairly full.

EricPraline

Agree with the OP that the naming is pretty inaccurate, though I can understand the idea of trying to create the focus that a village centre provides for local business.

Like others here, I have to say I'm fond of the shopping centre. It's infinitely more pleasant to visit than the Dundrum "town centre". Only downside is that the car park layout simply doesn't work. This is a bigger issue now that DF & Starbucks have arrived, particularly at weekends.

Hard to imagine what the area would have been like if the Treasury Holding plans for a Dundrum-style centre had gone ahead....

http://www.shopping-centre.co.uk/news/archivestory.php/aid/1468/Stillorgan_finally_gets_OK.html

strandroad

I am very fond of Stillorgan SC, especially since the revamp. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, no more, no less!

Aykina

fjon wrote: »

Silly name aside, I think Stillorgan is one of the better shopping centres on the south side. It's pleasant to walk through and has a decent selection for a place it's size.

Exactly! Had to kill an hour there this morning and thought it was pretty good. Starbucks/free wi-fi, Tesco is now marginally less grim, both bookshops lovely and friendly and picked up some nice (but pricey) dinner in Fenlons and Donnybrook Fair! If they could figure out a more pleasant pedestrian experience (car park / access just makes NO sense) it'd be great. The wee strip across the old Dublin Road (where Nimble Fingers is) needs something though - maybe if the Leisureplex upgraded a little it'd help. And maybe another pedestrian crossing from the taxi rank to the cinema? Every time I drive around there it feels kind of chaotic with all the kamikaze pedestrians and cars trying to get in and out of the centre...

Aard

The Old Dublin Road by Nimble Fingers is ridiculously wide. Considering that the bypass handles all bus traffic now, the carriageway should be narrowed to facilitate access to the main bus stop on the dualler. Maybe even make this street a culdesac for cars; it could become a proper village main street.

LXFlyer

Aard wrote: »

The Old Dublin Road by Nimble Fingers is ridiculously wide. Considering that the bypass handles all bus traffic now, the carriageway should be narrowed to facilitate access to the main bus stop on the dualler. Maybe even make this street a culdesac for cars; it could become a proper village main street.

Not correct - the 47 still operates via Stillorgan Village.

EricPraline

lxflyer wrote: »

Not correct - the 47 still operates via Stillorgan Village.

True, although it only runs every 45-60 minutes, and is very unreliable.

Aside from this, I've noticed that Mao is close to opening in the centre, near to McDonalds. Very few empty units left.

LXFlyer

EricPraline wrote: »

True, although it only runs every 45-60 minutes, and is very unreliable.

But also very well used regardless!

themont85

Aykina wrote: »

Exactly! Had to kill an hour there this morning and thought it was pretty good. Starbucks/free wi-fi, Tesco is now marginally less grim, both bookshops lovely and friendly and picked up some nice (but pricey) dinner in Fenlons and Donnybrook Fair! If they could figure out a more pleasant pedestrian experience (car park / access just makes NO sense) it'd be great. The wee strip across the old Dublin Road (where Nimble Fingers is) needs something though - maybe if the Leisureplex upgraded a little it'd help. And maybe another pedestrian crossing from the taxi rank to the cinema? Every time I drive around there it feels kind of chaotic with all the kamikaze pedestrians and cars trying to get in and out of the centre...

Why a footbridge has never been built there I don't know. It is a deathtrap, always has been.

annieoburns

There used to be a footbridge over what is now the old Bray Road. It was removed when the N11 built. It was supposed to be relocated to the Lower Kilmacud Road when the Ormonde Cinema site redeveloped. Was the developer supposed to do this? was the old bridge not wide enough? I cross there frequently and not usually a problem as traffic is logjammed on one side usually but not to be recommended. There are the two pedestrian lights close by but .....:P

themont85

annieoburns wrote: »

There used to be a footbridge over what is now the old Bray Road. It was removed when the N11 built. It was supposed to be relocated to the Lower Kilmacud Road when the Ormonde Cinema site redeveloped. Was the developer supposed to do this? was the old bridge not wide enough? I cross there frequently and not usually a problem as traffic is logjammed on one side usually but not to be recommended. There are the two pedestrian lights close by but .....:P

The problem with the pedestrian crossings is that they are both located at either end of the shopping centre when its the cinema that people are crossing to mainly. The crossing require people to walk down to the lights from the major pedestrian exit of the SC, cross the road then back up to the cinema.

If you contrast it with the crossing between Frascati and Blackrock SC down in Blackrock, the pedestrian crossing is right there when you leave either one of the SCs grounds and straight across.

Dubl07

themont85 wrote: »

The problem with the pedestrian crossings is that they are both located at either end of the shopping centre when its the cinema that people are crossing to mainly. The crossing require people to walk down to the lights from the major pedestrian exit of the SC, cross the road then back up to the cinema.

If you contrast it with the crossing between Frascati and Blackrock SC down in Blackrock, the pedestrian crossing is right there when you leave either one of the SCs grounds and straight across.

There are four crossings for the Stillorgan Shopping Centre. One between the western boundary and the overflow carpark, one between the eastern boundary and Cassidy's, one between the eastern boundary and the bowling alley and another near the northern boundary. Don't, please, tell me that the lemmings need more than that?

annieoburns

The problem with the pedestrian crossings is that they are both located at either end of the shopping centre when its the cinema that people are crossing to mainly. The crossing require people to walk down to the lights from the major pedestrian exit of the SC, cross the road then back up to the cinema

I agree. I often cross midway along the boundary where there are exits from the Shopping Centre. I cross to get to bank, Lidl, and doctor and often back again. I am very mindful that there was a fatality at this point some years ago. I always park in the overflow and then the light signalled pedestian crossing is the obvious route to cross over. A very different situation at night in the dark with a wide road and faster traffic. There must be pedestrian traffic to the food outlets in the Shopping centre from the cinema the cinema...and back again complicated by choice of parking areas.

strandroad

A third set of lights between them would cause a complete gridlock though... AIB, Lidl and the cinema are right next to the eastern one, with SC entrance, Tesco, interior design shops and DVD rentals next to the other one. I really see no issue with walking over to the few places in between them from either side... jaywalking is crazy there though. I don't think a footbridge would help either, I lived next to some footbridges and you'd have thought they would help but some people will always jaywalk rather than climb the steps/walk around to a crossing.

annieoburns

I agree with you also! not a happy situation. Maybe the pedestrian lights to the overflow carpark could be moved a bit or the ones at the cross roads near the pub? Is there much pedestrian traffic near the pub? Certainly the one near the overflow is much used.

One of the more grandiose schemes for the redevelopment of the several underdeveloped sites in the area was to remove this road altogether and place a link to the N11 underground thus freeing up the road space between the bowling alley and Blakes and unifying the sites in a major redevelopment. This never made it to planning application stage and is now scuppered with building of Dundrum TC and demise of celtic tiger.

coylemj

mhge wrote: »

I lived next to some footbridges and you'd have thought they would help but some people will always jaywalk rather than climb the steps/walk around to a crossing.

+1 See it all the time, the only places where footbridges are used is beside schools where it's obvious that the pupils (all in uniform so they have to obey the rules) are forbidden to cross the road at gound level and they have to use the bridge. Classsic example is the grey metal bridge next to Scoil Iosagain between the Radisson and The Rise near Fosters Ave. where there is no provision at all for pedestrians to cross at ground level.

The Kilmacud road is very wide between the LIDL/Cinema and the Shopping Centre but I can't see how they could build a bridge there and in any event, younger people would still cross the road and a lot of older people would not be able to climb steps. A two stage crossing with an island might help but as has been pointed out, another set of lights would just serve to completely jam the place up because it's pretty bad at the moment.

strandroad

coylemj wrote: »

+1 See it all the time, the only places where footbridges are used is beside schools where it's obvious that the pupils (all in uniform so they have to obey the rules) are forbidden to cross the road at gound level and they have to use the bridge. Classsic example is the grey metal bridge next to Scoil Iosagain between the Radisson and The Rise near Fosters Ave. where there is no provision at all for pedestrians to cross at ground level.

That's the one I meant, among others. All those people scurrying across the dual carriageway, with the bridge yards away... crazy. And extreme sports version - running blind to catch the bus on the other side.

strandroad

annieoburns wrote: »

I agree with you also! not a happy situation. Maybe the pedestrian lights to the overflow carpark could be moved a bit or the ones at the cross roads near the pub? Is there much pedestrian traffic near the pub? Certainly the one near the overflow is much used.

There can be quite a lot of pedestrian traffic, yes - people crossing from the shops parade to DID/hair salon/the creche/the gas station.