A roundup of today's other stories in brief.
Easons to assign lease of shop in Athlone centre
With the new Athlone Town Centre due to open in the coming weeks, some traders will inevitably want to reposition their businesses. Easons has already decided to relocate to a larger store in the new town centre and is planning to assign the lease of its old premises at Golden Island shopping centre.
Eoin Feeney of HWBC is handling the disposal of the lease of the shop which has a ground floor retail area of 577sq m (6,210sq ft) with a mezzanine of 84sq m (904sq ft). The shop is located opposite Penneys' newly extended store and is likely to appeal particularly to fashion or sports chains who have difficulty in finding large outlets. The shop is available under a new 25-year lease at a rent of €350,000 per annum.
Easons plans to trade out of both stores over the Christmas period and to move out of Golden Island in the new year. The multiple operates 59 outlets and is the largest supplier of books, newspapers and magazines in the country.
€200,000 key money sought for Suffolk Street shop
Bogle Estates is seeking key money of €200,000 for the lease of the Carroll's gift shop at 17 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2. The trader is moving a few doors away to the former Automobile Association building where a rent of over €600,000 has been agreed.
Number 17 has a ground floor area of over 67sq m (721sq ft) and a basement of more than 58sq m (624sq ft). The rent of €95,900 per annum was due to be reviewed last July.
Small office/retail investment in Dublin 8 for around €1.95m
Joint agents HT Meagher O'Reilly and HWBC have begun marketing a newly developed premises suitable for a small professional practice at 1 Brabazon Court, Dublin 8. The premises extends to 307sq m (3,305sq ft) and is built to shell specification and under the planning permission can be used either for retail or offices purposes. The agents are seeking a rent of €115,648 under a new 35-year lease. Alternatively, the building can be bought on a long lease at around €1.95 million. Purchasers will be able to avail of general tax allowances.
Munchies adds more outlets
Munchies, the specialist sandwich and organic fair-trade coffee provider, has acquired two new outlets in Dublin, bringing its total in the area to seven with more units due to open early next year. The two new outlets, which will open later this year, are at Millennium Walk in the city centre and Beacon South Quarter in Sandyford early next year. "Munchies is seeking further units in Dublin city and suburbs, ideally close to office locations, of between 30sq m (323sq ft) and 80sq m (861sq ft)," said James Hardy of Jones Lang LaSalle which handles the group's property requirements. Munchies has outlets in the IFSC, Eastpoint Business Park, Lower Baggot Street, South William Street and Sir John Rogerson's Quay.
€2.6m for mixed-use building off Leeson Street Bridge
Knight Frank Ganly Walters and Eoin Deering are guiding €2.6 million for an end-of-terrace building off Leeson Street Bridge at 7 Sussex Street. Sussex Mews is a two-storey building extending to a floor area of 265sq m (2,852sq ft). The ground floor, used as a car showroom, is producing a rent of €55,000 per annum. Two one-bedroom apartments overhead could possibly produce an additional rental income of €28,000, according to the agents.
In Dún Laoghaire, Knight Frank is seeking €4.5 million for Oriel Court, a two-storey office building at Patrick Street. It has a floor area of 709sq m (7,631sq ft) and parking for 14 cars in the basement.
Topshop to open flagship store at Belfast's Victoria Square
Fashion giant Topshop is to open what it calls its "largest flagship megastore in Ireland" at the Victoria Square shopping centre in Belfast city centre.
At 3,716sq m (40,000sq ft) Topshop will be the second largest store in the centre after the House of Fraser and will anchor the William Street South link to the scheme when it opens in 2008. The company will relocate from its premises on Donegall Place.
€414 per sq m rent for offices beside the Grand Canal
Part of the third floor of Marine House overlooking the Grand Canal at Clanwilliam Place in Dublin 2 is available to lease through Jones Lang LaSalle which is quoting an annual rent of €414 per sq m (€38.5 per sq ft). The space is a mix of open-plan and cellular offices covering 510sq m (5,490sq ft) and is available on a flexible lease. Five car-parking spaces are also available at an annual rent of €3,750 each.
€590 per sq m rent for final shop in Greystones centre
Savills HOK is marketing the final shop in a new convenience retail centre at Blacklion Road, north of Greystones, Co Wicklow. The scheme is being anchored by Lidl who will trade alongside Eurospar, Ambiance Interiors, Fahy's Pharmacy and Premier Arts & Crafts.
A rent of over €590 per sq m (€54.8 per sq ft) is being sought for the remaining unit which has a ground floor area of 114sq m (1,227sq ft) and a further storage space on the upper level of 80sq m (861sq ft).
Jones Lang LaSalle and CBRE win awards in London
Jones Lang LaSalle has been awarded the overall "Property Adviser of the Year" at the Estates Gazette Awards in London, following an online poll of Estates Gazette readers. Alastair Hughes, CEO of EMEA who accepted the award on behalf of the firm, said: "It is particularly gratifying to win this award as it is voted for by our clients and our peers in the UK property sector."
At the same function CB Richard Ellis in Dublin was named the "Irish Adviser of the Year".
