DFS fits Mahon bill

A €1M fit-out wraps up this weekend as the covers come off Munster’s largest retail letting — UK giant DFS opens its second Irish store, in the office and retail City Gate Park, Mahon, Cork, this Saturday.

Just in time for last-minute pre-Christmas sofa shopping, and likely to be swamped in their January sales, the company has taken 18,500 sq ft at the €70m recession-defying development, built and part-occupied after an 18-month build period. It’s providing 40 retail jobs, in a high-profile unit at one of Cork city’s busiest traffic junctions.

Savills director and letting agent Peter O’Meara says the DFS deal — second to their Blanchardstown opening last year — could well be the largest retail opening anywhere in Ireland this year and key to the deal was the building quality and location. Developer John Cleary says “it’s a significant further vote of confidence in Cork”, noting the fully-built scheme is capable of hosting 3,000 jobs, and is already over 40% allocated.