$110 million Development for Sligo, Ireland

(All Renderings from the Sligo City Centre website)

Sligo is a town in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland that dates back to the early 13^th century.  It is a popular tourist attraction and although its population is just under 20,000 people, it is purported to have the top retail spend in North West Ireland which is supported by two peak selling seasons; Christmas and Summer.

Sligo Town Centre, is a $110 million project at the heart of Sligo, with the intent of redeveloping the Sligo city centre.  The development, originally proposed in 1999 will finally move forward with the signing of Debenhams department store who will join Penney’s (Primark, not JC), Dunnes Stores and Tesco as the anchors for the project.  An additional 26 retailers will also be part of the project as well as prime office space, 20+ apartments, and a parking garage that can accommodate 900+ cars.  The nearly 400,000 sf mixed-use project will dedicate 260,000 to retail.  Construction is expected to start late this year and be completed by 2013.  For a brochure provided by Treasury Holdings, the developer of the project, click here.

Grandview Yard Update 2

Grandview Yard, the $500 million, 90 acre development located just west of Downtown, Columbus announced recently their desire to add 154 apartments in three four-story buildings.  Initial plans for Grandview Yard included as many as 600 housing units over time.

This is welcome news for a young urban development that has had early success.  The fact that Nationwide Realty Investors, developer of the property, is willing to invest further is a good sign for the Yard as well as for the Columbus market.  Here is a list of the businesses that have called Grandview Yard their home:

                Hyatt Place

                Urban Active

                Jason’s Deli

                The Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill

                Massage Envy Spa

                Schindler Dentistry

                M&A Architects

O’Neill Properties Getting to The Point in New Jersey

(Image from O'Neill Properties)

(Image from O'Neill Properties)

(Image from O'Neill Properties)

(Image from O'Neill Properties)

O’Neill Properties Group recently announced the unveiling of The Point, one of the largest mixed-use, lifestyle centers in the United States, 30 miles from Manhattan in Sayerville, New Jersey. 

The Point, planned to be a 8 million sf development is a city within itself and will include 3 million sf of mall/lifestyle retail, an entertainment district, waterfront and recreation activities, as well as 2,000 residential units including 650 homes and 1,350 apartments.  The Point will also be home to one of the largest Bass Pro Shops in the country.

What’s Up Our Sleeve? Check Out Our Pocket!

We are excited to announce the launch of Designers’ Pocket, a website resource for the design community.  You say there are already a ton of those?  Perhaps, and we have thought through this pretty carefully and hope the content we bring you will be both informative and refreshing.  Where we think we are different is the fact that we are and will be looking at the designer’s needs holistically.   If you have a creative block, we hope the imagery and right-brain articles will help inspire you to push through to the next step.   And if you need help with a budget, creating an invoice, or writing a contract, our left-brain articles are sure to help round out your creative skills with some solid business acumen (check out the Six DOs and DON'Ts of Asking for a Raise).

Every few weeks we will feature a member of the design community.  They could be just getting started, a veteran in the industry, or an entrepreneur that has one (or both) feet in design (check out the story of Tada Creative Studios).  We also have an ever expanding list of resources to supplement both halves of your brain.

Crocker Park Update

(Proposed Rendering from Bialosky + Parnters)

(Proposed Rendering from Bialosky + Parnters)

Crocker Park, the lifestyle center located in Westlake, Ohio announced this past week that American Greetings' new world headquarters will relocate there.  The 700,000 sf office building, new investment, and the 1,750 new employees will also spark a new hotel and 50% more retail to be built on existing land owned by the center.  


The $100 million investment is reported to include the hotel, 250,000 sf of additional retail offerings, a parking garage as well as other green space and amenities.