Savoy owners buy Quills

A REVAMP of the long-established Savoy Shopping Centre may be on the cards, following the circa €2m purchase of the former Quills clothes shop, at nos 106/107 Patrick Street, by the Savoy’s owners, the Clarendon Group.

The sale of the Quills property — which faces Debenhams and Brown Thomas — was confirmed this week by its selling agent, Lisney director Margaret Kelleher, who said it was “a further positive step, with a focus coming back to retail on Cork City’s Patrick Street.”

Clarendon may follow the acquisition of the 3,500 sq ft Quills property with another former fashion outlet, A-Wear, to enlarge the Savoy. The shopping centre is on the site of the former iconic Savoy cinema, which closed in 1975, before being redeveloped by Robin Power. Now owned by the Dublin-based Clarendon Group, who have extensive Irish and international retail centres, the Savoy has had several refurbishments, in 2001 and 2010, and has a separately-managed entertainment complex overhead. Current tenants include Home Focus/Hickeys and Champion Sports, as well as 3Mobile on Patrick Street.