Plans lodged for regeneration of 25-year-old Killarney Outlet Centre

Refreshing of a number of the existing retail outlets and a new ground floor entrance lobby is also envisaged. The eight new “food kiosk/servery units” will have an associated dining area and the bar and dining area operating past midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

“The proposed development is of critical importance for the regeneration and long-term re-branding of the existing Killarney Outlet Centre,” architects for COK Property Ltd say.

The architect-designed mall alongside the Killarney Railway and bus stations was developed in the late 1990s as a discount store outlet in the former CIE-owned railway station yard.

At the time surveys showed a dearth of retail in Killarney.

The outlet centre offered manufacturer’s goods at a discount. Planning restrictions prohibited food and restaurant activity – provisions which were revised in subsequent application by developers Green Properties.

Six years ago a change of use from manufacturers’ outlet to shop use was granted permission. However, vacancy rates have been high and two years ago the centre lost key client and its anchor tenant Nike.

Around the same time, the centre changed hands for an estimated €7-8m.

New high street clients have been attracted to open tenancies on the ground floor. However, in their application, architects for COK Property Ltd say the proposed development seeks to address the high vacancy incidence within the unit, predominantly located at the first-floor level.

The centre though centrally located has never achieved full tenancy, Edge architects say.

Plans will also be lodged to upgrade the facade of the building which is blank alongside the Park Road entrance.

It seeks to create new interest within the centre while addressing the significant vacancy on the first floor. Vacancy has been high since its inception in 1999, the application by Edge Architecture Ltd on behalf of COK says.

“This proposal seeks to support and create fresh interest in the centre as a retail destination and in turn to create new opportunities for social and economic development within the Killarney area,” the applicants state.

A decision by Kerry County Council is due in August.