Planned developments in City Centre?

w/s/p/c/

I know it has been gone a long time (and probably sold a long time too!), but only noticed the sold sign over the old Zanzibar (then known as Bondi Beach nightclub) on Ormond Quay yesterday.  Anyone any idea what this may become?

L1011

w/s/p/c/ wrote: »

I know it has been gone a long time (and probably sold a long time too!), but only noticed the sold sign over the old Zanzibar (then known as Bondi Beach nightclub) on Ormond Quay yesterday.  Anyone any idea what this may become?

Long standing permission for a hotel development going back through to the street behind, may have lapsed but that's what it'll be almost certainly.

miamee

The shops I mentioned above are both Carrolls, shop signs are up now :rolleyes:

ongarboy

Very disappointing to see yet more tacky leprechaun shops. I don't mind over concentration of restaurants in this area as there is great diversity in the choices of food but identikit diddle-e-eye shops selling imitation turf, stuffed sheep toys and green jerseys in every second building is a pain. Scarily, every single one of them is always busy!

Wheety

The work has begun on the old Ormonde Quay hotel. Looks like the top half of a H now with the middle bit gone.

It's going to be a hotel too.

power pants

miamee wrote: »

This might not be the right thread for this but I am shocked, saddened and appalled* to see that the lovely building on Dame Street that housed Beirut Express Cafe (which I loved) and then Kostas Greek restaurant (didn't last long there) has now been turned into yet another of those trashy souvenir shops. Also the premises a couple of doors down which was a salad/noodle bar is also transforming into a trashy souvenir shop. It's so sad to see prime retail space being cheapened by this kind of tenant. To me they are even worse than the proliferation of Starbucks!

*Might be an overreaction but I'm sick of some of the 'progress' in our city.

Those businesses likely closed down as making a loss and increasing rents

Realistically only a souvenir shop can probably afford the rent and get the custom too

miamee

Wheety wrote: »

The work has begun on the old Ormonde Quay hotel. Looks like the top half of a H now with the middle bit gone.

It's going to be a hotel too.

I took a photo of it a few days ago from the bus - not great quality but you can see how it's looking.

AMKC

Anyone know anything about Mckenzie's chicken outlets? I heard the one in Liffey Valley closed and it looks like the one in St Stephens Green might be now as well. It was not open when I was up there last week. Be very sad if they are gone.

Muahahaha

wakka12 wrote: »

God I didnt even notice! That is shocking, the souvenir shops are usually incredibly gaudy and tacky, I noticed Mr Simms sweet shop was turned into a souvenir shop a while ago, so Dame Street now has 4-5 tourist shops??
I feel like Dublin is almost becoming like barcelona and venice in terms of tourism numbers, I dont even see how it attracts such vast amounts of tourists like its a fairly nice city with plenty to do but dont see how so many want to come here, I would have thought how ridiculously expensive it is would be a limiting factor

AFAIK there is a planning application being processed for the entire building above the old Mr.Simms and where Skinflint is now. I cant recall the exact details but defintely a hotel on the upper floors. It is possible that the souvenir shop that is in the old Mr.Simms is a temporary summer thing while the planning application goes through.

Agree with you on the amount of tourists, its become stifling at this stage. But unless the council does something to curtail it then it is only going to grow more and more. For eg a few years back we were getting very few Chinese tourists. But last year it was 90,000 and they hope to grow this to 180,000 in the next five years. The new direct flights between Beijing and Dublin and easy visa access will help grow these numbers.

Wheety

The Starbucks on Westmoreland Street (Temple Bar side) is now TGI Friday's. It's the same one you enter from Fleet Street.

I remember reading about them being refused an entrance on that side. Wonder if they greased the right palms this time.

imme

The works on the Central Bank building on Dame St are progressing, seems to be going on a while.
Office space will take up the majority of the revamped building.
Restaurants and leisure will make up the rest.
Anyone looking forward to spectacular spaces and views or will it be mundane.

imme

Does anyone know what is happening in the little square in front of the lighthouse cinema.
It has been dug up and fenced off

cgcsb

the square is the roof of the underground cinema. It was leaking I think and they decided to completely rebuild.

miamee

imme wrote: »

The works on the Central Bank building on Dame St are progressing, seems to be going on a while.
Office space will take up the majority of the revamped building.
Restaurants and leisure will make up the rest.
Anyone looking forward to spectacular spaces and views or will it be mundane.

I was lucky enough to get to the top floor of the Central Bank on an Opne House tour a few years ago and the views of the river from up there were pretty good Let me see if I can find one to post here. I think the views will be great on a clear day!

ETA: found a photo, this is looking down onto Temple Bar and the Liffey. I can't be 100% sure that it was the top floor but it was one of the higher ones anyway.

Dandelion6

cgcsb wrote: »

That Smithfield block will move some v cool businesses out. Smithfield Market is now fully occupied afaik for the first time since completion in 2005, the north end of Smithfield also remains kinda shabby.

It's not fully occupied, the former Polish grocery is still empty.

Gavin "shels"

Seems somethings being demolished on Great Strand St next to Tengu just before Liffey St junction, can't find any PP. Opposite the planned Apartments/Hotels facing out to Jervis Luas.

fly_agaric

wakka12 wrote: »

God I didnt even notice! That is shocking, the souvenir shops are usually incredibly gaudy and tacky, I noticed Mr Simms sweet shop was turned into a souvenir shop a while ago, so Dame Street now has 4-5 tourist shops??
I feel like Dublin is almost becoming like barcelona and venice in terms of tourism numbers, I dont even see how it attracts such vast amounts of tourists like its a fairly nice city with plenty to do but dont see how so many want to come here, I would have thought how ridiculously expensive it is would be a limiting factor

Yes it is absolutely mad alright and there's no rest for the wicked native dub any more like there used to be for a while in winter + early spring. No wonder the Chinese Leprechaun shops and the new hotels are springing up. Must be absolute fortunes being made out of it all. Sorry - really a subject for another thread I suppose. :pac:

DaisyGarden

Old Dublin is disappearing to make way for a more global outlook. So I'd expect to see a lot of lovely buildings and old traditions gone into history, sadly. Like Newmarket Square in Dublin 8. The regular and Sunday markets there have been a staple for families for many years. Now it will be no longer. It is making way for a hotel and other tourist traps. The developers have said there would be space for a market. But my thinking it is going to be a designer market to cater to tourists . No flea markets anymore. The heart of the community is being taken out. You can't have a community, as community isnt found in hotels. Also another huge development is underway close to the side of Guinness' with yet another hotel in Dublin 8. And another brewery for tourists on James' Street.

Gavin "shels"

DaisyGarden wrote: »

Old Dublin is disappearing to make way for a more global outlook. So I'd expect to see a lot of lovely buildings and old traditions gone into history, sadly. Like Newmarket Square in Dublin 8. The regular and Sunday markets there have been a staple for families for many years. Now it will be no longer. It is making way for a hotel and other tourist traps. The developers have said there would be space for a market. But my thinking it is going to be a designer market to cater to tourists . No flea markets anymore. The heart of the community is being taken out. You can't have a community, as community isnt found in hotels. Also another huge development is underway close to the side of Guinness' with yet another hotel in Dublin 8. And another brewery for tourists on James' Street.

As someone who's born and bred Dublin 8, I think the new developments along Cork St are well overdue.

Newmarket (until Teelings) was all but a near waste land. Blenders, etc... there are probably happier getting a pay out and moving to newer premises . Further up Cork St you've the Donnelly Centre recently demolished to make way for apartments along which was disused for as long as I remember.

All well and good talking about flea markets but this is prime city centre land... you can have a flea market anywhere essentially.

I agree about the hotels mind you, these locations should be more geared towards residential units like the rest of Cork St.

wakka12

The developments in D8 have been and will continue to be overwhelmingly positive for the area, was it better when the liberies was a wasteland nobody visited ? As others have said ,too much hotels , but development is long overdue
And Dublin has extremely strict architectural conservation laws compared to most of the world so you won't see any nice buildings disappearing

Gavin "shels"

wakka12 wrote: »

And Dublin has extremely strict architectural conservation laws compared to most of the world so you won't see any nice buildings disappearing

Exactly! Given the poster above mentioned Newmarket... look at St. Lukes Chruch for example, derelict since 1975 and recently it's been given a huge restoration and transformation into offices afaik while keeping the outside structure.

St. Lukes Ave aside from the restored Church and Newmarket Hall Apartments is a wasteland/derelict offices on that side for the most part. Any development is welcomed.

Wheety

So the Permanent TSB is back on the ground floor of the building on the corner of Grafton Street and Harry Street. The short stay apartments are above it.