A local councillor has backed the new planned redevelopment of the Crumlin Shopping Centre as a "very good" plan, and is also calling for the owners to include a civic centre in place of a library.
The iconic shopping centre was first built in the 1970s and at the height of its popularity contained once had 49 shops, a bank, a pub, hairdressers and more. But since the 2010s, shops have gradually started to close and many will remember how in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic Texas Fried Chicken was the most recent to pull out of the shopping centre.
As previously reported by Dublin Live, Dunnes Stores has lodged a planning application for a huge redevelopment of the shopping centre. Speaking to Dublin Live this week as two new images of the proposed redevelopment have been shared, Independents 4 Change Cllr Pat Dunne described it as a "very good" plan for the area.
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He said: "Hopefully the redevelopment will take place very soon. I remember it when it was a hive of activity as well as Dunnes Stores and Tesco in it, it had small shops the likes of Hector Greys, jewellery shops, coffee shops, a travel agents.
"It had everything you need, a bank, a building society and all those things. So I don't think we'll ever get back to that level of activity, but certainly the plan looks good," added Cllr Dunne.
According to the planning submission from Dunnes Stores (Better Value Unlimited Company) the development will see the overall demolition of existing buildings and structures on site and the construction of a Shopping Centre with an overall height of 12.9m and an overall gross floor area of 16,892.8 sq.m.
The plans include the demolition of all existing structures, with a new café, food court & gym, library facility with community/arts space to be developed and the size of Dunnes itself on the also site to be expanded. It will also include a mobility hub to the west entrance, along with a taxi rank, bicycle parking, and car parking spaces which will be upgraded with the provision of 80 EV Charging car parking spaces.
Meanwhile, Cllr Dunne said that part of the plan for the redevelopment as put forward by Dunnes Stores was for a public facility with a library in it. He said: "I've raised this issue at the council's South East Area last month Committee as to how come they were going to provide space for a library when Dublin City Council already had advanced plans for a library between Drimnagh and Crumlin and further up the road on the Ardscoil Éanna site."
Cllr Dunne said that he will be seeking clarification on this at the area committee meeting next Monday as to what those plans are. He said: "But the area director of services for Dublin City Council confirmed that the council have no interest in a library in the proposed redevelopment of Crumlin Shopping Centre as the plans for the library on the Ardscoil Éanna site were at a very advanced stage and how monies coming that from local development levies were in place.
"In the absence of that, that's great we are going to have the library provided by Dublin City Council on the Ardscoil Éanna site, so what I'm seeking and will be making an observation for is that proposal by Dunnes for a library as part of the redevelopment that should be a civic centre that could be used by all involved in culture, the arts, facilities for meeting rooms and that type of thing," added Cllr Dunne.
Cllr Dunne also remarked how there has been an overall "fantastic response" from locals about the proposed redevelopment of the shopping centre. The plans for Crumlin Shopping Centre can be viewed via Dublin City Council's planning website with the reference number 3372/23.
The final date for observations to be filed is 17 April 2023.
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