Forestside Shopping Centre

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Coordinates: 54°33′49″N 5°54′33″W / 54.56361, -5.90917

Forestside Shopping Centre
Forestside Shopping Centre
Facts and statistics
Location Newtownbreda, Belfast, UK
Opening date 1997-03-04 (Sainsbury's)
1998-09-22 (Mall)
Developer J Sainsbury plc
No. of stores and services 36
No. of anchor tenants 3
Total retail floor area 250,000 ft² (23,225 m²)
Parking 1,280 (more due for completion in December 2007)
No. of floors 1
Website www.forestside.co.uk

Forestside Shopping Centre is located in Newtownbreda in the southern suburbs of Belfast. The first phase of the centre, the 39,000 ft² (3,600 m²) Sainsbury's store, opened in March 1997. The popularity of the centre has exceeded expectations with traffic congestion a problem in peak trading seasons. Sainsbury's was obliged to pay for extensive roadworks on the A24/A55 junction as a condition of the planning permission.

[edit] History

When Sainsbury's announced its move into the Northern Ireland market on 20 June 1995, the Newtownbreda site was one of seven identified for future stores. The site was then occupied by Supermac which, when it opened in 1964, was Northern Ireland's first supermarket.[1] Planning permission for the Sainsbury's store was granted in early February 1996 and construction began with a ground-breaking ceremony a week later.[2] The Sainsbury's store was built on the northern part of the roughly triangular site which was unoccupied as part of the Supermac complex. Sainsbury's first annual report after the store opened in March 1997 noted that the store was "trading far above expectations" and it continues to be one of the best performing of the group.

Sainsbury's paid £1.75 million for an alcohol sales licence for its off-licence in the centre.[3] However this allowed Sainsbury's, with just two off-licences open in Northern Ireland in 1997, to capture 6% of the market.[4] In January 1998 The Grocer reported that sales at the Forestside off-licence were £140,000 a week.[4]

As the first stage opened work continued on the final stage of the shopping mall, 31 small units and two other large stores occupied by Marks & Spencer and Dunnes Stores. The total floor space of the centre is 250,000 square feet (23,300 m²) the southern part of the which stands on the site of the Supermac supermarket. The architects of the centre took advantage of the large east-west gradient of the site to build extensive underground car parking and service access. Sainsbury's opened a petrol filling station at the same time as the supermarket, on the site of the Drumkeen Hotel. The Drumkeen Hotel had been demolished after four bombings by the Provisional IRA.

In October 1997 Sainsbury's announced the forward sale of Forestside to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) for approximately £50m. The sale was completed following completiton of building works in September 1998, with Sainsbury's taking a 125 year lease for its store.[5] In January 2001 USS sold the centre to Foyleside Ltd. for £70 million.[6] Foyleside Ltd. owns Foyleside in Londonderry and the Abbey Centre in Newtownabbey.

On 2005-03-26 the centre's Next outlet was targeted with an incendiary device which ignited after it had closed.[7] Another device was defused in the centre's Dunnes Stores on March 28. The attacks; like the campaign which destroyed a B&Q store at Sprucefield, Co. Down, were blamed on dissident republicans.

On 2006-11-23 Marks & Spencer announced a £35 million investment in its Northern Ireland business. For its Forestside store this involves remodelling, the addition of a second floor to add 22,000 sq ft (2,000 m²) and a multi storey car park.[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ O'Kane, Paul. "Sainsbury's to invest £100m in 7 new outlets in North", Irish Times, 1995-06-21, p. 16. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. 
  2. ^ Morton, Robin. "The great supermarket sweep", Belfast Telegraph, Belfast Telegraph Newspapers, 1996-02-20. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. 
  3. ^ "Sainsbury's pay record (GBP) 1.75 m", Belfast Telegraph, Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd., 1998-02-18. Retrieved on 2007-01-08. 
  4. ^ a b "Two off licences, but 6% of NI's drinks market", The Grocer, William Reed Publishing Ltd., 1998-01-31, p. 7. Retrieved on 2007-01-08. 
  5. ^ Morton, Robin. "Forestside: a new era", Belfast Telegraph, Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd., 1998-09-15. Retrieved on 2007-01-08. 
  6. ^ McGurk, Helen. "Retail Park Changes Hands for £50m", News Letter, Century Newspapers Limited, 2001-10-20, p. 23. Retrieved on 2007-01-08. 
  7. ^ "Device ignites in shopping centre", BBC News, 2005-03-27. Retrieved on 2007-01-08. 
  8. ^ Marks & Spencer plc (2006-11-23). "Marks & Spencer Announces Multi-Million Pound Investment In Northern Ireland". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-08.
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