Developer asks for changes to Florentine plan
Developers Oakmount have sought some changes within the footprint of the forthcoming Florentine Centre.
District Manager Tom Murphy said that any adjustments will have to be in accordance with the permission granted by An Bord Pleanala.
He added that the officials have requested a monthly progress report on the build.
Cllr Joe Behan said that the goalposts are being moved. ‘What about our access to the development agreement?’ he said.
Mr Murphy said that the configuration changes include slightly reducing retail, as upstairs don’t trade as well as downstairs units; increasing the floorspace for an anchor tenant by 800 square metres, tand reducing the number of cinema seats but not the number of screens.
With regard to the contract, he said that the council had sought legal advice, which is that the said that confidentiality agreement cannot be reversed.
Cllr Behan said that the Chief Executive Officer Frank Curran had said he would speak to the developer, and ask if public representatives could see the contract.
‘What is in it that they do not want us to know?’ said Cllr Behan. ‘We’re being given the run around. We’re not getting the full facts.’
Mr Murphy said that there was always an understanding that there would be some adjustments.
Cllr Fox said that the centre would ‘ lift all boats as a rising tide’.
He said that one thing missing in Bray is a large anchor. ‘It’s critical that there be a very good anchor tennant in the centre and if this means getting one, I would support it,’ he said. He said that the confidentially agreement is due to commercial sensitivities.
‘It was our solicitor who put it in place,’ said Cllr Vance. ‘If it’s there, it’s there and that’s all there is to it.’ He welcomed underground parking