RetailSector: Sawers, Dublin's most famous fishmongers, may be on the move in the near future as the prime city centre building it occupies comes on the market.

Sawers occupies the ground floor of the Chatham Street location, just yards from Grafton Street, and the entire building has now become available under a new 25-year lease.

Agent CB Richard Ellis is quoting an annual rent of €160,000 for the building which has 251sq m (2,809sq ft) over four floors plus basement. Significant interest is expected given the building's prime location adjacent to the most expensive retail footage in the world.

Sawers has been trading from its location at 3 Chatham Street since 1959 and is owned by the much older Hanlon's Group which has been selling fish in Dublin since 1845, says the company's managing director, Mark MacMahon.

Sawers is not closing, just relocating on the basis of market demand for the property, MacMahon explains. "We are definitely not closing down. We are moving to a different location," he says.

"It is probably the best known fish shop in Dublin."

Hanlon's Group is a family-owned business and still part of the same family that opened the company more than 160 years ago.

Pressure to move comes because of the exceptional value of any retail space on or close to the capital's premier shopping area along Grafton Street. Retail space there is the costliest in the world and recent research indicates an average of 13,387 people pass through the street every hour.

This has encouraged the owners to make the property available under a new 25-year lease.

The building offers four floors over basement. The basement has 65sq m (701sq ft); ground floor 61sq m (652sq ft); and 45sq m (485sq ft) for each of the first, second and third floors.

Any decision to move the Sawers shop is dependent on the level of interest shown in the property, MacMahon points out. "If the right price doesn't come up we won't be relocating the shop."

The selling agent expect significant interest in the property.

Hanlon's Group has already identified a possible location if Sawers does move, MacMahon says.

"If we relocate we will probably move to Cork Street."

The company has its production facility there with prepared fish going out to the wholesale and restaurant trade and there is space available for Sawers to continue its retail business.

Sawers trades as the company's flagship outlet, MacMahon says. "Sawers will maintain its image as a quality shop."

Many of Dublin's best known fishmongers have closed their doors over the past decade or two. Hanlon's Group used to have several outlets, including Moore Street.

Wrights of Howth used to sell smoked salmon and other speciality food products from a unit on Grafton Street and about 12 years ago McConnell's fishmongers left its Grafton Street location from where it had traded for more than 60 years.

The pressure of rising rents helped to force these changes as the rag trade gradually took over.

This has served to diminish the variety of goods that can be bought along Grafton Street.