Major retail proposal for Cork town

A multi-million euro retail development featuring a five-screen cinema is planned for Fermoy, Co Cork.

A site notice has gone up at Courthouse Road, Fermoy, outlining plans by Ballyjamesduff Properties Ltd to create a four-level development on a site behind Grandons garage, leading up to the northern bank of the river.

The notice outlines plans to have two anchor tenants and to provide car-parking spaces for 650 cars.

A cinema with five screens is also planned.

The notice says the development will be on four levels, with one level providing 5,500 square feet of retail.

The entrance of the proposed site, which measures one-fifth of an acre, falls under the jurisdiction of Fermoy Town Council. The other 4.66 acres fall under the jurisdiction of Cork County Council.

This is the second major retail development planned for Fermoy. The Shipton Group has unveiled a €100m retail plan for the town centre on the old Cork Marts site.

The Shipton development is for up to three floors of offices, 21 residential apartments and a seven-screen cinema as well as retail units. There would be parking spaces for 1,000 vehicles.

Fermoy Town Council is currently considering that proposal.

Cllr Tadhg O’Donovan said it was a reflection of Fermoy’s potential that developers were prepared to put this level of investment into the town.

He said: “I welcome it. There will be obvious questions about how Fermoy will cope with the increased infrastructural demands.

“But that gives us all the chance to rise to the challenge.

“We, as a local authority, must be ready to match this investment. We see the success of other towns in Cork and Fermoy can be as good as any. That is why investors want to develop here.”

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper