Planned St Stephen’s Green shopping centre revamp draws mixed reaction

Dublin City Council have announced plans to revamp St Stephen’s Green shopping centre.

The €100 million redevelopment will see the shopping centre turned into office and retail space. 

Reaction to the move has been strong, with around 1500 people signing a petition calling on Dublin City Council to revert the changes.

Planning consultants for the scheme John Spain & Associates told Dublin County Council that the existing building “has become outdated”, and the proposal would look to ”enhance” the centrally located site.

The document submitted to Dublin County Council states that the plan is to replace the famous dome roof, arched windows and flower baskets, and will have up to 8 floors, including a proposed cinema and gallery space.

While there are plans to keep some existing shops and entrances, the redevelopment wants to make it easier for people to get into the shopping centre from St Stephen’s Green and King Street South.

Former Irish Times environmental editor Frank McDonald told Newstalk he was opposed to the redevelopment, saying the existing building is a “Dublin landmark.”

“It has become a city centre landmark, kind of an emblem of Dublin, it’s featured on postcards of the city and has been much photographed by tourists over the years.”

“I was surprised at how strong it was with numerous posts on Twitter describing it as ‘atrocious, awful, bland, disgusting, hideous, horrible, ugly’ and even worse.”

McDonald questioned the logic of turning the shopping centre into office space, noting that there is already plentiful office space in the centre of Dublin. 

BNP Paribas Real Estate reported that the office vacancy rate in Dublin is likely to hit 16% in 2024.

“There’s been an awful lot of new office space built in Dublin over the last couple of years,” McDonald said.

“Much of that space is vacant so you’d have to wonder what is the point of building more.”

McDonald said that the area risks losing its historical character should the proposed building go ahead. 

“When you think of Stephen’s Green, it’s the oldest Georgian Square in Dublin that dates back to the late 17th century and it’s a designated national monument,” he said.

“The setting of that park is important and the St Stephen’s Green shopping centre is a part of that setting.” 

“Anything that is built on that corner needs to be of exceptional design quality and I don’t think we’ve reached that.”

The change.org petition, entitled “Preserve St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre from Redesign,” reads that the shopping centre “is at risk of losing its unique character due to proposed minimalistic redevelopment plans.”

“This shopping centre is more than just a commercial hub; it represents the architectural heritage and cultural history of Dublin. The proposed changes threaten to strip away its distinctive charm and replace it with soulless modernity.”

“The building’s Victorian-inspired design and iconic glass dome have been part of Dublin’s skyline since 1988, making it one of the city’s most recognisable structures. It has served as a gathering place for locals and tourists alike for over three decades.”

“We urge the relevant authorities to recognise the historical significance of St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre by listing it as a protected structure under Section 51 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Government Publications Office). This would ensure that any future development respects its architectural integrity while allowing for necessary updates.”

“It’s an iconic building, it has charm, but nobody bothered to protect the structure. The proposal is highly inappropriate; it doesn’t register with the area,” Independent Councillor Mannix Flynn told the Irish Independent.

Flynn said that at present, the building is “rotten” and that its underbelly is in “an awful state.”

“It constantly suffers from rat and vermin infestation, yet it sits in the middle of a vibrant part of the city,” he claimed.

People Before Profit Councillor Madeleine Johansson said “it’s sad that this got planning permission; Dublin is being destroyed by high-spec offices and luxury hotels.”