New look for Lisburn shopping landmark in city centre revamp
A REVAMP of a much-loved family store that has been part of Lisburn life for decades is a key part of a multi-million pound development plan for the city.
The ambitious project will combine the refurbishment of department store Smyth Patterson with a major social housing scheme.
Smyth Patterson was established in 1926 and survived several attacks during the Troubles.
Now it is central to exciting plans to regenerate a neglected part of the city.
Twenty-eight apartments will be constructed by Clanmill Housing Association on a site to the rear of the store at Wardsborough Road at a cost of £3 million. The building contract has been awarded to Totalis Construction.
Renovation of the store has been scheduled to commence in June and is expected to be completed by November.
Colin Patterson, director of Smyth Patterson, explained: “At the minute we have 50,000sq ft of showroom space. We will be knocking down 8,000sq ft to put in a new rear entrance and customer car park. We are going to modernise the building. It will improve customer convenience. It will transform the whole street.”
Mr Patterson said his family had been trading in Lisburn for more than 80 years.
In its early days the company developed as a builders’ merchants. After Smyth died in 1949 his sons Harold and Colin’s father Hubert took over and gradually converted the business into a department store.
Referring to the current retailing climate, he said: “This year has been slow. Sales are down especially for our gardening products. We hope that the changes we are making will improve convenience for people.”
He explained that a “difficult start” to 2018 had been combined with a “late spring”.
“Clothing retailers are bound to be feeling it,” he added.
He said all businesses in the city centre were feeling the strain of high rates. And referring to competition from larger high street competitors, he added: “We are a size where we can give people value for money. We can compete with them on price and we can be efficient.”
He acknowledged the importance of “customer loyalty” to the store, but underlined the importance of “not taking it for granted”.
“That is why we want to invest. We want to be more modern, more competitive and give better facilities,” he explained.
And he added: “There’s not anybody making a lot of money at the minute.
“We own the building, so we have an interest to see it doing well.”
He recalled the difficulties of trading during the Troubles.
“We had quite a few bombs. The shop was attacked on a number of occasions,” he said.
“There was no major structural damage.
“We had a bomb left in a paint
tin. It was sitting on the counter when it went off.
“Our floors are wooden and hollow underneath, so the explosion went down and across, otherwise customers standing around would have been killed. There was superficial damage.”
However, on another occasion, a gas cylinder left in a car exploded, seriously injuring one of
the company’s lorry drivers who was standing beside it.
The victim ended up losing an arm.
Traders had to be alert for incendiary devices with a “fire watch” in place late into the night.
The company employs 65 staff at present.
“It is onwards and upwards. We would like to see ourselves as part of the success of Lisburn,” Mr Patterson said. “We want to continue to look after our customers, secure jobs for our staff and evolve into a modern efficient business.”
Clanmil Housing Group said: “As part of the wider redevelopment of the Smyth Patterson site in Lisburn, Clanmil Housing is constructing a new four-storey apartment building on Wardsborough Avenue which will provide 28 new family homes.
“The development came about following a ‘design and build’ competition run by Clanmil to identify opportunities to provide more much-needed homes in the Lisburn and Castlereagh Council area.
“It will involve an investment of £3 million, funded by Clanmil and the Department for Social Development.
“Planning approval for the scheme was received in March 2018 and demolition work has started on site.”
❝ We would like to see ourselves as part of the success of Lisburn