Archive for the 'Latest News' Category
Merit Retail Sites Leased By Leading Retailer
Conway Group and the NI based retail operator Henderson Group have today announced their agreement for the leasing by Henderson of the Conway Groups award winning Spar retail and forecourt outlets at Brackenvale, Saintfield Road Belfast and Magherafelt Road, Moneymore and their Vivo convenience store in Magherafelt.
This announcement comes as great news for both Conway Groups retail division, Merit Retail and Henderson Group.
Henderson Group owns and operates 70 stores, and supplies almost 400 throughout the province. A spokesperson explained: “We are delighted to confirm that these three prime retail sites will now be operating under the Henderson Group, Merit Retail have operated these sites to a first-class standard for many years, each serving a vital role in the communities. We look forward to continuing the model of excellence that has been set. Three extremely strong businesses, this deal comes as great news for our business.”
Merit Retail added they have worked tirelessly to build their businesses to the levels of success they are today and are delighted the Henderson Group, who have been involved in all three businesses since inception, have taken this opportunity to take over these three businesses at this time.
Both parties confirmed that current staff will be retained at each site. Merit Retail would also take this opportunity to thank all employees and customers for their loyalty and support over the years.
RTE MOVE BELFAST OPERATIONS TO CENTRE POINT BUILDING
The Irish State Broadcaster RTE have moved their Belfast Offices and Studios to the Centrepoint Building.
Occuping the 8th and 9th Floors of the prestigious new devlopment, the state of the art facilites were offically opened by Northern Irelands First and Deptuty First Mininster with the Irish Taoseach Mr Brian Cowan in attendance.
FIRST LETTING AT CENTREPOINT
Irish Nationwide Building Society is re-locating to offices in Centrepoint. The financial institution is taking one of the development’s ten floors as its new Northern Ireland base. The deal represents a new headline rent of £15 per sq ft for Belfast reinforcing the confidence in the Centrepoint scheme.
Gary McCollum, Manager, UK Operations at Irish Nationwide, said: “Centrepoint provides an excellent prime city centre location in the heart of Belfast’s business district so it was an ideal choice for us. The move will allow us to further concentrate on the Northern Ireland market and continue to grow our commercial banking business.”
Speaking on behalf of the Conway Group, Des Taggart said, “The commercial property market in Northern Ireland remains buoyant and Belfast City Centre has been undergoing a vigorous regeneration in recent times. With projects such as Victoria Square recently complete and an increase in city centre living, tourism and retail we are confident this development will be a huge success.”
William Stewart, Associate Director for joint agents, Whelan, agrees: “Centrepoint provides the right location and quality of office space required by corporate occupiers and we are in discussions with a range of blue chip companies from the financial, media and professional service sectors.”
The high quality design includes an imposing glass and natural stone frontage and also features a unique external glass elevator which offers panoramic views across the city centre.
Conway Group Acquires 92-96 Deansgate, Manchester
As part of their continued acquisition programme, Conway Group have acquired a prime restaurant investment in Manchester.
The property at 92-96 Deansgate occupies a highly prominent location at the junction of Deansgate and St Mary’’s Street in the heart of Manchester City Centre. Deansgate is considered Manchester’’s prime leisure location, with occupiers including; Café Rouge, The Living Room, Label, La Tasca, Weatherspoons and The Goucho Grill, in the immediate area.
In addition the property is located adjacent to House of Fraser (arguably Manchester’’s premier department store) and in close proximity to the prime retailing areas of King Street and St Annes Square.
Comprising over 6,800 sq ft of accommodation arranged over basement ground and four upper floors, the entire premises are let to Bella Italia Restaurant Ltd.
ACQUISITION OF RETAIL INVESTMENT, EAST SHEEN, LONDON
Conway Group have recently acquired a prime retail investment in South-West London.
The property is located in East Sheen, an affluent suburb of the Borough of Richmond –upon-Thames.
Occupying a prominent position on the main shopping thoroughfare of Upper Richmond Road West, the current occupiers of the scheme are Superdrug, WH Smith, and Cargo, totalling nearly 14,000 sqft of retail and ancillaryaccomodation.
ACQUISITION OF NCP CARPARK IN LYTHAM ST ANNES
Conway Group, has acquired the St Georges Road, multi-storey car park, in the popular seaside town of Lytham St Annes, close to Blackpool in Lancashire.
The car park provides for 250 parking spaces over 4 levels, and is operated by NCP.
The Premises are located on a 20,000 sq ft site at St Georges Road, in a vibrant part of Lytham St Annes, opposite Ashton Gardens Park and within a short walk from the main promenade
Nearby occcupiers include the Burlington Centre and Sainsburys
“CENTREPOINT” ON COURSE FOR COMPLETION 2008
The 10 storey development which is being developed by Merit Investments and Properties, occupies a prominent city centre site at the top of Bedford Street directly opposite the BBC. When completed it will offer approximately 36,000 sq ft of high specification retail and office accommodation.
For further details on the scheme please contact the joint letting agents:
Mr Brian Nixon
Whelan Property Consultants
44 Upper Arthur St
Belfast
BT1 4GJ
Telephone: 028 9044 0000
Mr Ciaran Hughes
RHM Commercial
65 Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 4JD
Telephone: 028 9043 43000
MERIT HOLDINGS REVEAL PROPOSALS FOR A NEW 50 ACRE BUSINESS AND HEALTHCARE QUARTER AT DUNDALK
Merit Holdings have submitted a major planning application on 10th August 2007 for a new mixed use business and healthcare quarter at Finnebair South in Dundalk. The project which will comprise of residential, business and office uses and a new 10 storey 100 bed private hospital within a designed campus, fully integrated with surrounding developments.
The site which lies to the east of the Dublin Road measures some 50 acres in size and is Zoned in the Development Plan for a range of mixed uses including recreation medical, business and residential, and forms part of the wider strategic land bank for employment on the south side of Dundalk. The project is estimated to have the potential to create some 3000 new jobs for the region.
Mr Des Taggart , Property Manager for Merit Holdings, attributed the vision of the project to a number of key agencies in the area. “ We have been greatly impressed with the commitment to Dundalk, of agencies such as IDA Ireland who have a long term vision to create an integrated business and innovation park of global appeal in Dundalk. We have also seen a n impressive commitment from Dundalk Institute of Technology to expand its training links to industry and from Sustainable Energy Ireland in launching its Dundalk 2020 Sustainable Energy Zone Project . The latter incorporates our development site and provides a very unique opportunity for attracting new business to Dundalk”
CHURCH RESTORATION FEATURED IN “SUNDAY LIFE” NEWSPAPER
Work undertaken by Merit Homes to restore the 
Church of the Resurrection on Belfast’’s Antrim Road, was the subject of a recent article in Northern Ireland’’s leading sunday newspaper; The Sunday Life.
Please click on the link below for the article:
http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/article2411499.ece
Whitbread Group Plc commits to Conway Group site at Hillsborough Road
The UK’s biggest hotel chain has confirmed that it is to open a new hotel in Lisburn.
Premier Travel Inn, operated by Whitbread Plc is set to open within two years, and will be the third Premier Travel Inn to open in Northern Ireland.
The 60 bedroom Premier Travel Inn and Brewers Fayre restaurant will be developed in partnership with the Conway Group at a parkland site off the Hillsborough road in Lisburn.
Local MP, Jeffrey Donaldson, welcomed the £10 m investment, which will also create up to 60 new full and part-time jobs.
Speaking on behalf of the Conway Group, Des Taggart said: “We are very happy to announce that this plan is going to be a reality having signed up a major hotel and restaurant operator. This means that Lisburn will gain a new Premier Travel Inn and Brewers Fayre restaurant in a beautiful setting beside the river Lagan. The site will also provide new parking access and a potential new route into the Lagan Valley Regional park. This will add an excellent new, family-friendly amenity that will be great for tourists and the local population in Lisburn. We are also looking at some new educational elements on the site to highlight the unique wetland environment that the hotel will be placed in and we have also submitted an outline planning application for a new health and wellness centre to complement the hotel, though the development and opening of the hotel is our first priority”
Whitbread PLC is the UK’s leading hospitality business, managing the number one brands in hotels, restaurants and racquets, health and fitness clubs, including Premier Travel Inn, Brewers Fayre, Beefeater, Costa Coffee, T.G.I. Friday’s and David Lloyd Leisure. 10 million customers each month visit one of the Whitbread’s 1,400 outlets across the UK. Premier Travel Inns is the UK’’s biggest hotel chain with over 475 locations including its first hotel in Northern Ireland, recently opened in Carrickfergus.
Northern Ireland acquisitions manager for Whitbread plc, Derek Griffin said:
“We’re very excited to be bringing a Premier Travel Inn and Brewers Fayre restaurant to Lisburn, we have a great location and are really looking forward to getting started. The Northern Ireland market provides a very attractive opportunity for us to expand and Lisburn in particular is a city on the up. We’re very confident about our investment here in Lisburn and are hoping to be able to announce further investments in Northern Ireland in the near future.”
Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson who met the representatives from Conway Group and Whitbread at a presentation to Lisburn City Council added:
“The city of Lisburn is making progress on so many fronts and this is another excellent piece of news. The fact that the largest hotel chain in the UK has chosen Lisburn as only its third location in Northern Ireland says a lot about the potential of Lisburn as a place to visit, enjoy and work in. This is a very significant investment and the local jobs created are also very welcome. Lisburn has tremendous tourism and business potential but we have suffered from a lack of availability of good quality overnight accommodation and I very much welcome this development and the number of other potential hotel applications that have emerged in recent months. Obviously this development will be subject to the normal planning process which will afford local residents with the opportunity to have their say before a final decision is made.”
A detailed planning application has been submitted for the hotel and restaurant. The site had previously received planning for a hotel development and is designated within Lisburn City Council’s Lagan Corridor Strategic Framework as a potential site for hotel development.
Conway Group’s commercial agent on the scheme is Gerald Eve, Gerald Eve partner in Belfast, Ciaran Hughes said:
“The Northern Ireland market is attracting more and more interest from major hotel groups in Britain and across the world and the city of Lisburn is one of the places that has excellent potential for development. The fact that the UK’s largest hotel group has committed to a superb site on the Hillsborough road is a very positive endorsement for Lisburn and we are confident that this will be a very successful new amenity for the area.”
John Martin of Whitbread’s agents in Northern Ireland, Osborne King added:
“This investment is another indication of the strength of Northern Ireland as a location for hotel development. This is the fifth site here that Whitbread has confirmed its interest in and we will be continuing to search for up to 15 sites across Northern Ireland in the coming months”
