STEPHENS GREEN SHOPPING CENTRE

24/12/2023

This morning, Christmas Eve, I decided to undertake some last minute shopping starting at 10AM and was surprised to discover that there were very few people to be seen which is unusual for this time of the year. 

Yesterday I met some people at the St Stephen's Green tram stop and when we crossed the Liffey we noticed that the North Side was much less busy. When we arrived at the restaurant where we had booked a table we were more than surprised to discover that the place was empty except for one diner. The owner told us that he had, because of reduced business over the last few weeks he had decided not to open on St Stephen's Day and that he might remained closed until the 28th.

Stephen's Green Shopping Centre is a large indoor shopping centre at the top of Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland. It is named after St. Stephen's Green, a city park situated across the road from its main entrance. Its street address is St. Stephen's Green West.

The site of the shopping centre was assembled over 15 years by the Slazenger family, beginning in 1966. In total, more than 150 individual property owners were bought out over that period. Most of the buildings were Georgian, and these were left to fall into disrepair and ruin as plans for an extensive redevelopment of the site as an office block and shopping centre totalling almost half-a-million square feet were drawn up. The original architects were Scott Tallon Walker, and planning permission for their scheme was granted in 1975. During the recession of the late 1970s, the small shops were rented out under a scheme known as "the Gaiety Green". At the weekends, this was marketed as the Dandelion Market, known for its alternative vendors, popular with younger people. U2 played some of their earliest gigs at the market. The market, which closed in 1981, is commemorated with a plaque, while Sinnotts Bar on South King Street is the only trader from the original site that remains.

The site was put up for sale in 1980, and was purchased by Patrick Gallagher in April 1981 for £10.5 million. Most of the buildings on the site were demolished while Gallagher attempted to sell the site to Irish Life, without success. He also sought permission to erect a show house for his Fortunestown development in Tallaght but this was rejected by Dublin Corporation. After Gallagher went bankrupt, the site was re-acquired by the Slazengers, and it was placed back on the market in 1983, and later sold for £5 million to Power Securities. They drew up plans for 7 acres of retail, bar and restaurant spaces, with 40 luxury flats and parking for 800 cars.

The centre in its final form was developed by British Land under a design by James Toomey.

Work began on the shopping centre in 1986, with plans for anchor and specialist shops, restaurants and bars, leisure facilities, and, at a cost of £15 million, 700 parking spaces.

The project was completed in 1988, with a total budget of £50 million, and the centre officially opened its doors on 8 November that year, though with only 4 units ready on the first day.[6] The use of glass and ornate white iron work on the exterior has been "likened to a Mississippi steamboat moored on the edge of the Green" and the building is locally often called "The Wedding Cake".

In 2019, a fund managed by Davy Group acquired the remaining portions of the property not under its ownership.

Permission has been granted for the €100m redevelopment of St Stephen’s Green shopping centre, which will see the current glass dome and facade replaced. The recent planner’s report acknowledged that the existing shopping centre is a local landmark, but this was not due to the quality of its architecture and stated that the shopping centre is not a Protected Structure.

This morning, Christmas Eve, I decided to undertake some last minute shopping starting at 10AM and was surprised to discover that there were very few people to be seen which is unusual for this time of the year. 

Yesterday I met some people at the St Stephen's Green tram stop and when we crossed the Liffey we noticed that the North Side was much less busy. When we arrived at the restaurant where we had booked a table we were more than surprised to discover that the place was empty except for one diner. The owner told us that he had, because of reduced business over the last few weeks he had decided not to open on St Stephen's Day and that he might remained closed until the 28th.

Stephen's Green Shopping Centre is a large indoor shopping centre at the top of Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland. It is named after St. Stephen's Green, a city park situated across the road from its main entrance. Its street address is St. Stephen's Green West.

The site of the shopping centre was assembled over 15 years by the Slazenger family, beginning in 1966. In total, more than 150 individual property owners were bought out over that period. Most of the buildings were Georgian, and these were left to fall into disrepair and ruin as plans for an extensive redevelopment of the site as an office block and shopping centre totalling almost half-a-million square feet were drawn up. The original architects were Scott Tallon Walker, and planning permission for their scheme was granted in 1975. During the recession of the late 1970s, the small shops were rented out under a scheme known as "the Gaiety Green". At the weekends, this was marketed as the Dandelion Market, known for its alternative vendors, popular with younger people. U2 played some of their earliest gigs at the market. The market, which closed in 1981, is commemorated with a plaque, while Sinnotts Bar on South King Street is the only trader from the original site that remains.

The site was put up for sale in 1980, and was purchased by Patrick Gallagher in April 1981 for £10.5 million. Most of the buildings on the site were demolished while Gallagher attempted to sell the site to Irish Life, without success. He also sought permission to erect a show house for his Fortunestown development in Tallaght but this was rejected by Dublin Corporation. After Gallagher went bankrupt, the site was re-acquired by the Slazengers, and it was placed back on the market in 1983, and later sold for £5 million to Power Securities. They drew up plans for 7 acres of retail, bar and restaurant spaces, with 40 luxury flats and parking for 800 cars.

The centre in its final form was developed by British Land under a design by James Toomey.

Work began on the shopping centre in 1986, with plans for anchor and specialist shops, restaurants and bars, leisure facilities, and, at a cost of £15 million, 700 parking spaces.

The project was completed in 1988, with a total budget of £50 million, and the centre officially opened its doors on 8 November that year, though with only 4 units ready on the first day.[6] The use of glass and ornate white iron work on the exterior has been "likened to a Mississippi steamboat moored on the edge of the Green" and the building is locally often called "The Wedding Cake".

In 2019, a fund managed by Davy Group acquired the remaining portions of the property not under its ownership.

Permission has been granted for the €100m redevelopment of St Stephen’s Green shopping centre, which will see the current glass dome and facade replaced. The recent planner’s report acknowledged that the existing shopping centre is a local landmark, but this was not due to the quality of its architecture and stated that the shopping centre is not a Protected Structure.

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