Danish retailer Normal earmarked for Cork's long-vacant Argos unit at Queen’s Old Castle
POPULAR Danish retailer Normal is to set up shop at the former Argos store in the Queen's Old Castle, ending six years of vacancy at one of Cork city centre's most prominent retail spaces. Confirmation that the Nordic chain has taken out a lease on the 10,000 sq ft unit - empty since Argos closed in 2019 - signals another new arrival to Grand Parade, following on from confirmation last week that a Gala convenience store is to open at Singer's Corner, empty since last May.A Gala convenience store is due to move into Singer's Corner Normal's choice of Cork is one of three Irish locations for its stores, the first of which opened last month in Dublin's Ilac shopping centre, where the queue stretched halfway down Henry St on the first day. Shoppers queue outside the newly opened Normal store at Dublin’s ILAC Centre on its first morning of trading Photograph: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ieThe retailer has had Ireland in its crosshairs for some time, according to chief executive Jakob Frolich Maarbjerg, who said in a recent newspaper interview that they also intend to open a store in Coolock, on Dublin's north side. He indicated that they may eventually open upto 100 stores in Ireland.Minister of State for Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon TD, joined Jakob Frølich Maarbjerg, CEO of Normal to celebrate the opening of the Danish retailer’s first Irish store in Dublin on November 19 The deal to bring Normal to Cork was brokered by Lia Dennehy of Savills, who also oversaw the deal that brought US label Urban Outfitters to St Patrick's St last September, ending another six year vacancy in the city centre, at the former Dorothy Perkins/Evans womenswear store.Ms Dennehy said the securing of Normal was “a good letting for the city” in a unit that has been vacant since pre-covid times.The Queen's Old Castle Picture: Larry CumminsShoppers at Normal can expect to find a wide range of personal care and health and beauty products, along with some random grocery and household items and confectionary. The stores stock more than 5,000 different products and introduce 100 new products each week. The company, which follows a fixed low-price strategy, owns more than 950 stores across Europe - it doesn’t operate a franchise model. Nor does it operate an online store.The arrival of Normal to Unit 2 in Queen's Old Castle, on Grand Parade, near Daunt Square, marks a new chapter in the chequered history of the iconic building, which has roots back to the 1800s. Formerly a department store, it was built around 1835 on the site of the former County Courthouse. It is thought that the façade of the department store incorporated the portico of the courthouse. The Queen's Old Castle continued to operate as a department store through to the 1970s.Interior of Queens Old Castle, Grand Parade, 1949 - REF. 574D.NOW VIRGIN MEGASTOREBLACK AND WHITEDOWN MEMORY LANE After Power Securities Ltd bought it in the 1970s, they changed it from a department store to a shopping mall, which opened in 1980.Shopping mall in the 1980s There was further change in 1996 when Clarendon Properties bought the building for a reported €4.26m. It closed for refurbishment and when it re-opened, it was with two large tenants rather than multiple small stores. Argos opened in Unit 2 in 1998 (Unit 1 is occupied by Dealz) and remained for more than 20 years. In 2022, Clarendon Properties/City Properties (Cork) Ltd, was granted permission for the construction of a mixed-use office and retail development, with roof terraces but the redevelopment did not go ahead.Computer generated image of the planned retail and office development at Cork's Queen's Old Castle site. Image: Model WorksThe arrival of Normal is another welcome boost to Grand Parade where Cork City Council recently unveiled the new-look Bishop Lucey Park after a €7m upgrade. Normal is scheduled to open in the Spring, while the new Gala convenience store at Singer’s Corner is also due to open in the next few months. Samuel J Kingston, of Casey & Kingston, who brokered the Singer's Corner deal, has just brought another property to market, on Castle St. Formerly a store that stocked Holy Communion dresses, the 57 sq m ground floor unit is at No 25 Castle St, where M F Godsil is the name above the door.M F Godsil, 25 Castle St, is on the market with an AMV of €250,000. On the market with an AMV of €250,000, the commercial unit is being sold on behalf of an estate. It's adjacent to one of a portfolio of 10 properties being sold by the Mannix family. All but one of the properties is on Castle St and the overall sale price for the portfolio is €2.405m. Savills colleagues Peter O’Meara and Daire Brennan are handling the estate sale of the Mannix portfolio and have said there is “huge interest”.
DETAILS on 25 Castle St: Samuel J Kingston Jnr T: 0852624600 E: info@caseyandkingston.ie
