Shopping centre project to go ahead with 1,000 jobs

Date Published: {J}

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

Up to 1,000 construction and retail jobs will be created by the €200 million redevelopment of the Galway Shopping Centre, after the developers insisted this week the project will go ahead.

The owners of the shopping centre on the Headford Road told the Galway City Tribune that the retail development is creating ‘lively interest’ among potential anchor tenants, and said the figure of 1,000 jobs was realistic.

There had been fears for the future of the proposed development, after it emerged that Harcourt currently has debts in the region of €700m.

A spokesperson for Harcourt Developments said negotiations are continuing with ‘big league’ potential anchor tenants for the scheme, which would take around five years to build out and would quadruple the size of the existing shopping centre.

He said that 1,000 jobs – which would be created during the construction phases and when the massive centre’s four anchor and around 90 smaller retail units are up and running – was a “well-considered figure”.

The spokesperson said that despite his reassurances, he was unable to give a timeframe for the development, as it depended on the ongoing negotiations with potential tenants.

“I can’t give a timeframe – that is dependent on tenant interest, but the situation is very much current and we are working on the project. It is certainly not dead, and we want to push it forward,” he said.

The Harcourt representative refused to comment on the firm’s financial position, but insisted the Galway project is still viable.

“Our company is sound. We are redeveloping Portlaoise as we speak. There is lively interest [in Galway], we are serious about moving forward, and we’re talking to major operators. I can’t comment on a timeline, that is something that depends on commercial negotiations that have to take place first. We’re not going to build in a speculative manner,” he said.

He added that the anchor units may need a certain amount of ‘tailoring’ to meet client needs, but this was normal in such developments.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.