Space for free at City Square

A NEW sales and letting pitch is to be tried at Cork’s City Square development — the pitch is ‘space for free.’

Aimed at putting the former Frinailla mixed-use Blackpool development more firmly on the consumer and business map, there’s a range of incentives being tried to generate occupancy and footfall, says newly appointed agent John Downing. It includes generous rent-free and very low-rent periods for new occupiers.

The tax incentivised mixed-use urban renewal scheme, designed by Kiosk Architects, cost over a reported €80m to develop in the mid-2000s, and has all of its c 130-plus apartments and townhouses occupied or rented (mainly to Apple and Blizzard employees). It includes over 300 basement parking spaces and commercial/retail units onto the Watercourse Road, just 500 metres from St Patrick’s Bridge.

Driven by tax incentives, City Square had launch prices of up to €500,000 for three-bed residential units, but the market collapse saw most being rented as Frinailla went into receivership.

Now, the incentive for new commercial occupiers is low, to free, rents for a period, with artists, craftworkers, and other creative uses being canvassed to generate interest. Units will be offered in shell condition to be fitted out at occupiers’ expense, in sizes from 650 sq ft to 5,600 sq ft. There’s also an opening for a DIY-type operator, say Downing Commercial.

Current occupiers include the Blackpool Late Night Pharmacy, a multilingual medical centre, plus a gym, and alongside the three blocks of residential (the Courtyard, the Plaza and the Gallery) is Blackpool Garda Station.

“We are thinking differently to encourage more people, to the scheme,” says recently appointed letting agent John Downing: across the Watercourse Road and main N20 Cork-Limerick road are up to 1,000 jobs in the Revenue Commissioners and Irish Examiner/Evening Echo (Downing Commercial are marketing the two remaining floors, totalling 22,000 sq ft here), while there’s an estimated 4,000 jobs in Blackpool’s Atrium and retail/business park, developed by the Shipton Group.

* Details: Downing Commercial, 021-4271000