Redevelopment of Blackrock’s Frascati shopping centre sought

Plans for the redevelopment of Frascati Centre in Blackrock, Co Dublin, one of the most controversial shopping centre schemes of the early 1980s, have been lodged with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

The proposal is for the part demolition of the existing shopping complex and its extension towards the Blackrock bypass and Mount Merrion Avenue, increasing the retail space by more than 50 per cent and adding an extra storey to the height of the building.

The application is being made by Frascati Investments 2012 Limited, a company owned by the Roche family, whose eponymous department store was once the anchor tenant of the shopping centre. The family sold Roches Stores to Debenhams in 2006, but retained the freehold of the Frascati Centre.

The shopping centre was built in the early 1980s on the site of a Georgian mansion, Frascati House, one of the three principal residences of the FitzGeralds, Dukes of Leinster, along with Leinster House in Dublin and Carton House in Co Kildare.

An application for a major redevelopment of the centre was rejected by the council in 2006. Unlike the new proposal that application had a significant residential element with 65 apartments. A three- storey car park was also sought. The scheme was rejected by the council on the grounds that it would “endanger public safety” by causing a traffic hazard.

The new scheme would involve increasing the retail and restaurant space by 6,662sq m to 16,020sq m. There would also be 556 underground parking spaces. The developers also propose undertaking road improvements as part of the development.

The Frascati Park Residents Association, which represents homeowners beside the centre, said it would hold a meeting shortly to discuss the proposals. A spokesman said it would demand a “cast-iron guarantee” in the planning permission that there would be no construction work at night.