Outlet store centre could create 500 jobs for city

WATERFORD City Council is considering a planning application for a major factory outlet centre that could create up to 500 jobs at a former pitch and putt course on the Cork Road in the city.

A spokesman for site owners, Parker Green International, yesterday said the centre will create 300 jobs during construction and more than 200 retail and supervisory positions when it is operational.

Factory outlet centres revolve around retailers selling surplus or end of season stock, often at a discount of up to 60% on the original recommended retail prices.

The proposed centre would include up to 34 stores.

The spokesman yesterday said that the Waterford project, which is being promoted by Junction One Investments Ltd on a site owned by Parker Green, is “set to draw trade from a wide radius”.

The application for the development, on the site of the old Waterford Crystal Pitch and Putt Club, was lodged on July 16 and a decision is expected on September 9.

Mayor of Waterford Cllr Mary Roche yesterday described news of any jobs in Waterford as “very positive so long as it fits in with the city’s shopping policies”.

“At the moment this is being adjudicated on, and while I haven’t seen the latest plans, the site is one of the areas we have designated as a district centre.”

If permission is granted, the outlet centre will feature 34 retail units with space for over 360 cars and four coaches to park on the 2.72-hectare site.

Parker Green already has planning permission for a mixed-use development on 6.55 hectares at the former Waterford Crystal playing fields.

Work is to begin on an eight-screen cinema – to be operated by the Omniplex company – at the site within weeks and more than 80 jobs will be generated during the construction phase, according to a statement yesterday.

Director of Junction One Investments Ltd, Martin Quinn, said: “We look forward to applying our experiences in Northern Ireland to Waterford in conjunction with Parker Green International. The 34 stores at the Cork Road will accommodate recognisable brand names offering great value.

“The completion of the final phase of the M9 Dublin-Waterford motorway next month and the existing N25 Waterford city bypass which opened late last year, make the site readily accessible to a wide catchment area.

“This makes it an ideal location for a development that will attract visitors to Waterford from right across the south of Ireland as well as appealing to overseas tourists while they’re in Ireland.”

Group managing director with Parker Green International, Dr Gerard O’Hare, added: “Waterford has not been immune to the economic downturn and our investment plans offer an opportunity to generate sustainable employment that will help lay the foundations for recovery as Waterford’s fightback gathers pace.”