Green light for more food outlets at Jervis

THE iconic central atrium of the Dublin venue may now be developed with new food venues.

Jervis Shopping Centre, which was built in 1996 on Henry Street, has, like a lot of retail outlets, has been affected by the downturn.

Key anchor tenant Waterstones bookshop closed down in 2011 and more retailers pulled out as the recession took hold.

But a number of major UK and US superstores such as New Look and Century 21 have recently opened up big premises at the centre.

Now the company wants to expand the retail space into a new cafe/restaurant on the first floor.

They want to change the use of the void at the Jervis Street facade, which is a protected structure.

The area is currently associated with the escalators, stairs and lift.

The existing shopping centre is built inside the protected facade.

However, other business owners at the centre opposed the development, saying that it would impinge on the rest of the centre.

Hiranha Acquisitions Ltd, who are behind the current food court at the shopping centre, said that the development would contribute to a "tipping of the balance away from a shopping experience".

"Flooring out this void and eliminating the Atrium would add valuable square footage to the landlord's potential rent roll, but at what price?" they said in a submission to Dublin City Council about the plans.

The developer won the approval of An Bord Pleanala who said that the change of the unit is acceptable.

But they considered the insertion of an additional floor into the double height circulation space to provide additional seating area for the restaurant would "detract from the functions and amenities of the area".

clairemurphy@herald.ie