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Athlone thread

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    #512
    guylikeme
    Registered Users Posts: 262 ✭✭guylikeme


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    I don't know where LDC is either, but those junctions at Aldi and the Roscommon Rd should be roundabouts, far too many sets of traffic lights in the town already causing tailbacks.


    It't back to the N6 most mornings as it is.

    Roundabouts at the n6 junctions definitely. i think local roads should be predestrian friendly though. The roundabouts in monksland are anything but especially when indicators dont get used


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    #513
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    LDC = Lucozade Dispensing Centre, near the railway station.


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    #514
    Sunny Dayz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,380 ✭✭✭Sunny Dayz


    4ensic15 wrote: »
    LDC = Lucozade Dispensing Centre, near the railway station.
    Ah speaking of which... I had an appointment last week in the health centre in there - that health centre is practically empty. Anyway such a job I had getting into the bloody grounds of the place by car. The old entrance was blocked off at that junction, there was only an exit onto the road. I was literally driving up and down the road outside the old hospital, waiting at the lights each time, trying to figure out how to get my car into the hospital car park. FYI you have to drive around to the back of the hospital, the entrance is on Abbey Road.


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    #515
    Sunny Dayz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,380 ✭✭✭Sunny Dayz


    When did Chopped leave the new shopping centre? I passed through yesterday for the first time in ages and noticed the mezzanine level they were on it’s empty.


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    #516
    flazio
    Registered Users Posts: 13,126 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    It's a tricky spot to set anything up on as there's no wheel access (wheelchair, pram etc.)


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    #517
    guylikeme
    Registered Users Posts: 262 ✭✭guylikeme


    Sunny Dayz wrote: »
    When did Chopped leave the new shopping centre? I passed through yesterday for the first time in ages and noticed the mezzanine level they were on it’s empty.

    Its a softly softly approach for notions places setting up in a midlands town once described by a bad comedian as "the rain the the poverty". I dont think the footfall is there quite yet for it to be a success.

    It sums up the shopping centre really conpared to the success of golden island with its many discount stores


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    #518
    Mena Mitty
    Registered Users Posts: 6,046 ✭✭✭Mena Mitty


    Just an observation, anytime I visit the Athlone town centre there's always a smell of burnt food wafting in the place.

    If it's to prevent loitering it works.


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    #519
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    That Town Centre has 2 problems, still unresolved causing low footfall. The intended access road acroos the station field was never built. There is no proper anchor store. M & S took only half of the original planned space. Golden Island has free parking, a major supermarket at the end and another major supermarket across the car park.


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    #520
    flazio
    Registered Users Posts: 13,126 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    I thought TX Maxx became the anchor?


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    #521
    demanufactured
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭demanufactured


    4ensic15 wrote: »
    That Town Centre has 2 problems, still unresolved causing low footfall. The intended access road acroos the station field was never built. There is no proper anchor store. M & S took only half of the original planned space. Golden Island has free parking, a major supermarket at the end and another major supermarket across the car park.

    The Money spent building Athlone TownCentre should have gone into putting another level on top of golden island.


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    #522
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    demanufactured wrote: »
    The Money spent building Athlone TownCentre should have gone into putting another level on top of golden island.
    The people who own the Athlone town centre are not the same as the ones who own Golden Island.

    The town centre shopping centre is in the correct place (in the town centre) but the rents are probably too high and Golden Island is a rival, so is competing for tenants.


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    #523
    Mena Mitty
    Registered Users Posts: 6,046 ✭✭✭Mena Mitty


    demanufactured wrote: »
    The Money spent building Athlone TownCentre should have gone into putting another level on top of golden island.

    There's plenty of space up in the rafters above the 'motorway' between the front door and the door of Tesco for a couple of shops and a restaurant ;-)


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    #524
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Mena Mitty wrote: »
    There's plenty of space up in the rafters above the 'motorway' between the front door and the door of Tesco for a couple of shops and a restaurant ;-)
    Such a plan could work, but would be extremely expensive & disruptive.


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    #525
    demanufactured
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭demanufactured


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    The people who own the Athlone town centre are not the same as the ones who own Golden Island.

    The town centre shopping centre is in the correct place (in the town centre) but the rents are probably too high and Golden Island is a rival, so is competing for tenants.

    I know this, but the money should have been pumped in there by the coco or whoever.


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    #526
    veryangryman
    Registered Users Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭veryangryman


    demanufactured wrote: »
    I know this, but the money should have been pumped in there by the coco or whoever.

    Ah it wasn't that bad an idea to revitalise the centre of town. Bridge to Irishtown were badly in need of a draw and the centre did do it (to an extent). The one-way and better pedestrian access will help that too.

    What was done wrong?

    1) The car parking fees (we Athlonians are a frugal bunch, personally i've never paid a cent to park in town and laugh at towns the same size that don't have free alternatives).

    2) The access road delay clusterfunk.

    3) The lack of a decent anchor.

    In theory, the centre should be a decent competitor to GI. The place is closer to the Motorway for those who want to get in and out quick, but the current state of the crescent junction and Ballymahon Road Traffic-Light-a-loony setup kills it.


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    #527
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    flazio wrote: »
    I thought TX Maxx became the anchor?

    A proper anchor would be a major supermarket offering groceries. Everybody going to Tesco has to run the gauntlet of virtually every shop in the GI.That is how to keep up the footfall. There was a plan to link across the street by way of a pedestrian bridge above street level. This would have meant that the centre could be accessed from the Fair Green car park.


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    #528
    Sunny Dayz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,380 ✭✭✭Sunny Dayz


    4ensic15 wrote: »
    That Town Centre has 2 problems, still unresolved causing low footfall. The intended access road acroos the station field was never built. There is no proper anchor store. M & S took only half of the original planned space. Golden Island has free parking, a major supermarket at the end and another major supermarket across the car park.
    I remember the disappointment when the Town Centre opened and we seen how small M&S was. It's such a small store, my mum loves M&S but she never sees anything nice in there, she either does a big shop once a year in the Liffey Valley one or gets me to order stuff for her online to store delivery.


    The Town Centre is lacking in character or atmosphere or something. It's not somewhere where people "hang out", where people wait or relax, or spend a bit of free time. The few metal benches don't look comfy. The entrance across from Ulster Bank isn't the most inviting once you get inside, faced with a car from one of the main dealerships. Contrast to GI which I was in yesterday evening, it was busy, plenty of people milling about. You can relax in GI, men wait outside Penneys on the benches, people relax outside Vanilla Garden with an ice cream, people chat on the benches outside Elverys.


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    #529
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Sunny Dayz wrote: »
    I remember the disappointment when the Town Centre opened and we seen how small M&S was. It's such a small store, my mum loves M&S but she never sees anything nice in there, she either does a big shop once a year in the Liffey Valley one or gets me to order stuff for her online to store delivery.


    The Town Centre is lacking in character or atmosphere or something. It's not somewhere where people "hang out", where people wait or relax, or spend a bit of free time. The few metal benches don't look comfy. The entrance across from Ulster Bank isn't the most inviting once you get inside, faced with a car from one of the main dealerships. Contrast to GI which I was in yesterday evening, it was busy, plenty of people milling about. You can relax in GI, men wait outside Penneys on the benches, people relax outside Vanilla Garden with an ice cream, people chat on the benches outside Elverys.

    And in the last few years you would have thought that the new Town Centre would have become the place to hang about.

    On a side note, instead of taking the old shopping centre, not referring to GI, and instead of putting in shops, why not use the vacant units as office space. I.e. Doctors, Dentists, Accountant, Legal and other forms of Businesses. Parking is readily available for prospective employees and patrons.


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    #530
    demanufactured
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭demanufactured


    L.Jenkins wrote: »
    And in the last few years you would have thought that the new Town Centre would have become the place to hang about.

    On a side note, instead of taking the old shopping centre, not referring to GI, and instead of putting in shops, why not use the vacant units as office space. I.e. Doctors, Dentists, Accountant, Legal and other forms of Businesses. Parking is readily available for prospective employees and patrons.

    It's the perfect place for a large live venue.


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    #531
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    demanufactured wrote: »
    It's the perfect place for a large live venue.

    I'm sure there's better sites available around thing for a live venue. The traffic such a place would attract, would make getting in and out of town a bigger pain in the hole than it already is.


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    #532
    guylikeme
    Registered Users Posts: 262 ✭✭guylikeme


    L.Jenkins wrote: »
    I'm sure there's better sites available around thing for a live venue. The traffic such a place would attract, would make getting in and out of town a bigger pain in the hole than it already is.

    Aviva and Croker are also in choked locations


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    #533
    flazio
    Registered Users Posts: 13,126 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    guylikeme wrote: »
    Lansdowne Road and Croker are also in choked locations

    Fixed your post.
    True but they got in there before all the current planning agencies and regulations.


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    #534
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    flazio wrote: »
    Fixed your post.
    True but they got in there before all the current planning agencies and regulations.
    They were also there before private vehicles became a major cause of traffic, trams or walking were the main way of getting from A to B back then.


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    #535
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    demanufactured wrote: »
    It's the perfect place for a large live venue.
    It would be better off used for building flats for singles & older people who like to be near the town centre.


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    #536
    demanufactured
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭demanufactured


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    It would be better off used for building flats for singles & older people who like to be near the town centre.

    Or just levelled altogether and leave barren, it's doing fook all as it is.


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    #537
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    demanufactured wrote: »
    Or just levelled altogether and leave barren, it's doing fook all as it is.

    It was planned at one time that the Marist BNS would go in there. It would be a ggod idea to re-locate it in there now and reclaim the fair Green site.


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    #538
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    4ensic15 wrote: »
    It was planned at one time that the Marist BNS would go in there. It would be a ggod idea to re-locate it in there now and reclaim the fair Green site.

    They could join the two schools at the fair green into 1 large school. There's a large site with space for parking where Saint Mel's used to sit for one large primary school and I'm sure the need is there for a much larger primary school in the town centre. There is at least 7 primary schools in the town or just outside that I'm aware of, so amalgamating two into one larger school couldn't hurt and it would free up some space for development.

    Off the current topic. Anyone here into Pokemon Go? I'm apart of a facebook group, but I wouldn't mind a boards meetup to catch a few the weekend after this coming weekend.


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    #539
    Blanco100
    Registered Users Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭Blanco100


    Can anyone give me any info on the woodville grange development/estate out near Blyry?

    Does it have a good rep? Seems to be a good few houses for sale out there


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    #540
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Never heard anyone have any issues in the area yet. The estate isn't all that old. 10 years old at most and I imagine you'd have a lot of working professionals who'd be working for Ericsson and Tyco living in the area. So I'd imagine it would be a decent crowd.


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    #541
    Zubeneschamali
    Registered Users Posts: 16,686 ✭✭✭✭Zubeneschamali


    Blanco100 wrote: »
    Does it have a good rep? Seems to be a good few houses for sale out there

    Definitely one of the better developments its age. It's a longish way out of town, you'd be in the car all the time unless working in Ericsson/Blyry, but the same is true for most newer estates like out in Monksland.

    A bit better since Supervalue/Costa opened at the Rugby club - don't have to traipse all the way to Tesco/Dunnes.

    Some people are negative about Cornamaddy NS opposite because the halting site and direct provision are in the catchment area, but my kids did all right there.


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