Lidl planning major centre revamp
GROCERY GIANT PLANS TO DEMOLISH EXISTING SHANKILL SHOPPING CENTRE
LIDL Ireland held a public meeting in Shankill last week to tell people about their plans for the Shankill Shopping Centre.
There was a large turnout at the information evening at Shanganagh Park House, where representatives of Lidl shared their design proposals with the community.
There were drawings, sketches and architects to answer questions.
They told people that they will plan to apply for permission for a store on the site, demolishing the centre there and building a new two-storey structure. The undercroft of the new building will be their car park.
The development will include two other separate groups of buildings, including a medical centre, café and créche.
The main supermarket will be glass and steel, and stone clad on one side. They expect that the store could open in 2019.
A pharmacy currently oper- ating at the shopping centre will remain, with a new larger unit close to the medical centre.
Those at the meeting heard that the existing building is ‘from another time’ and not suitable for Lidl’s needs.
Lidl purchased the centre last October from the company Bilaro, linked to Lithuanian retailer Nerijus Numavicius.
Bilaro paid €6 million for the site and had done a complete re-fit before deciding to sell the centre, which has been closed since 2007.
Prior to that, in 2007, Select Retail Holdings bought the bulk of the units.
Its closure and failure to redevelop was a big blow to residents of the town, while more than 100 people lost their jobs in Supervalu and smaller shops on-site. However the group was put into receivership and sold to Musgraves.