Jervis Shopping Centre
Encyclopedia
The Jervis Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre in Dublin, Ireland
. Opened in 1996, the centre is located in the area bordered by Jervis Street, Upper Abbey Street
, Mary Street, and Liffey Street.
Although its main entrance is on Mary Street, the centre is named for the Jervis Street Hospital, Dublin
on whose site it was built following the hospital's closure in the late 1980s. The existing Marks and Spencer store on Mary Street was incorporated into the new centre, with the other anchor tenants being Quinnsworth (now Tesco Ireland
) and Arnotts
who have opened a second store in the unit vacated by Debenhams while redevelopment of their flagship store is in progress.
The centre is notable in that, as the first major shopping centre opened during the economic boom of the late 1990s
, it marked the first appearance of many British 'high street' retailers in the Republic of Ireland. These included Dixons, Debenhams, Next, and Argos
among others, which have gone on to become major names in the main streets of Ireland. This contrasted with existing Irish shopping centres at the time which were usually anchored by local names such as Dunnes, Roches Stores (since taken over by Debenhams), and Penneys. Not all of the new arrivals were successes: British Home Stores opened a store in 1996 having previously sold all of its Irish interests to Primark; however, the outlet was not a success and was later sold to Heatons
.
The centre was one of the first to introduce the food court
concept to Ireland, with outlets including KFC
, Spud U Like, and Harry Ramsdens. Other major restaurants in the centre include Burger King
.
The success of the centre also led to its rival, the 1980s-built Ilac Shopping Centre
giving its appearance a complete modernisation. This was completed in mid-2008.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Opened in 1996, the centre is located in the area bordered by Jervis Street, Upper Abbey Street
Abbey Street
Abbey Street is located on Dublin's Northside and is one of the principal shopping streets of Dublin, running from the Customs House in the east to Capel Street in the west...
, Mary Street, and Liffey Street.
History
The centre was built on a 12,000 m2 (3-acre) former hospital site, which was bought in 1994 at a cost of £5.97 million. The centre was built at a cost of £76 million. Most of the facade of the former Hospital has been retained and incorporated into the Shopping Centre.Although its main entrance is on Mary Street, the centre is named for the Jervis Street Hospital, Dublin
Jervis Street Hospital, Dublin
Jervis Street Hospital was a former hospital in Dublin, Ireland, that became part of Beaumont Hospital, which was completed in 1987. The site of the hospital became the Jervis Shopping Centre.-History:...
on whose site it was built following the hospital's closure in the late 1980s. The existing Marks and Spencer store on Mary Street was incorporated into the new centre, with the other anchor tenants being Quinnsworth (now Tesco Ireland
Tesco Ireland
Tesco Ireland is the Irish arm of supermarket group Tesco. It was formed in Tesco plc's 1997 takeover of the Irish retailing operations of Associated British Foods, namely Powers' Supermarkets Limited and its subsidiaries, trading as Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices.Tesco operates supermarkets under...
) and Arnotts
Arnotts (Ireland)
Arnotts is the oldest and largest department store in Dublin, Ireland. The company has two stores in Dublin. Its flagship store is located on Henry Street on the northside of the city centre, and there is a smaller store selling mainly shoes in an outlet in Stillorgan Shopping Centre in south...
who have opened a second store in the unit vacated by Debenhams while redevelopment of their flagship store is in progress.
The centre is notable in that, as the first major shopping centre opened during the economic boom of the late 1990s
Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...
, it marked the first appearance of many British 'high street' retailers in the Republic of Ireland. These included Dixons, Debenhams, Next, and Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
among others, which have gone on to become major names in the main streets of Ireland. This contrasted with existing Irish shopping centres at the time which were usually anchored by local names such as Dunnes, Roches Stores (since taken over by Debenhams), and Penneys. Not all of the new arrivals were successes: British Home Stores opened a store in 1996 having previously sold all of its Irish interests to Primark; however, the outlet was not a success and was later sold to Heatons
Heatons
Heatons is an Irish department store. The store specialises in mens, womens and childrens clothing and homewares. They have 53 stores around Ireland, North and South. The store was established more than 60 years ago...
.
The centre was one of the first to introduce the food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
concept to Ireland, with outlets including KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
, Spud U Like, and Harry Ramsdens. Other major restaurants in the centre include Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
.
The success of the centre also led to its rival, the 1980s-built Ilac Shopping Centre
Ilac Shopping Centre
The Ilac Centre is a shopping centre, located in central Dublin, north of the River Liffey. It has entrances opening onto Henry Street, Parnell Street and Moore Street.-History:...
giving its appearance a complete modernisation. This was completed in mid-2008.