Latest News

16/12/08 Sligo Weekender
Wine Street will lead to 1,000 new jobs in Sligo

UP to 1,000 new jobs are set be created in Sligo following last week's announcement that it is full steam ahead for the planned €80 million re-development of the Wine Street car park, the Weekender can reveal.

And in further welcome good news among all the economic gloom and doom, a plan has been revealed for a €100 million development on the site of the former Saehan/Snia factory at Hazelwood.

The developers of the Wine Street scheme say there will be 500 jobs in the two-years  construction phase of the development and another 500 jobs in the new shopping and car park development, providing a much-needed boost for the local economy.

The plan, for which Callside Developments has finally received planning permission after six years, will involve 30 shops, 27 apartments and office space, as well as 1,000 car parking spaces in a multi-storey car park linked to a new Dunnes Stores development.

Callside is a subsidiary of international development company Treasury Holdings. Speaking to the Weekender yesterday  (Monday), Treasury's project manager in Sligo Niall Kavanagh said that the jobs were great news for Sligo

"We are delighted to finally have planning for this project. We have been looking for this since 2002," he said. "The number of job creations are important figures in the current

economic climate, that's why everyone should give this project full support.

"We are looking to start the project in early 2009. The recession won't stop Treasury it will take a year or two to build the development so people in Sligo should be

looking at the development in terms of the  economic situation two years down the line.

Things will be starting to come good again. We are comfortable with continuing our development and we are comfortable with the market situation, "Treasury Holdings is a major national and international developer with considerable resources behind it and we have the full capability to proceed with this development as early in 2009 as. The critical thing we need is support.

Treasury is still involved in a number of meetings with Sligo Borough Council working on development designs and deciding on the contracts that need to be drawn up.

"It's a complex project and it's critical that we get support from all stakeholders - local businesses, adjoining owners and the "borough council," said Mr Kavangh. "It's important that everyone pulls in the right direction. "There is still a huge demand for contemporary retail in Sligo. The critical component needed for any retail project to work here is that the project delivers car parking. We need a car park for shoppers to stay here and shop in Sligo. "We know from speaking with retailers and the public in Sligo that there is-a very strong potential for Sligo to become a major retailing hub. This development will be a massive driver for the local economy"