The Swan Centre in Rathmines has secured 12 new tenants this year and is now more than 90 per cent let after a €2 million refurbishment programme.
Retailers at The Swan now include Tiger, Tuthills newsagents, Dowlings Butchers, Thunders home bakery and deli, David Cullen jewellers, Tolteca (burrito restaurant), The Art Of Coffee, Belamarine dry cleaners, EasyStream smart TV boxes, and Ireland’s first Chicago Gourmet Popcorn shop.
The Salvation Army has also taken up office space at the centre. A limited number of retail and restaurant units are available to let through agent Bannon.
The €2 million upgrade included modern store façades, ceramic tiling throughout, new sandstone entrance arches off Rathmines Road with automatic doors, and upgrades to the underground car park.
Anchor tenants Omniplex and Dunnes Stores have also invested heavily in their outlets at The Swan.
Last year, Omniplex opened a new €9 million multiplex cinema with eight screens at the centre. This is now one of the group’s most successful cinemas across its chain of 23 locations. Dunnes Stores also recently completed a full refurbishment and fit-out of its supermarket and homeware store. This is now the first of Dunnes’ new high-end concept stores.
The Swan Centre first opened in 1984 and has 51 retail and restaurant units over two floors and 16,000sq m (173,000sq ft) of space. Its primary retail frontage is to Lower Rathmines Road and there is also an underground car park with 327 car-parking spaces.
Paul Anderson, managing director of Swan owner Sawbridge Ltd, says the centre is "starting to spread its wings" following the opening of the new cinema and refurbishment programme. "The Swan, which is now almost fully let, remains the primary retail destination within Dublin 6," he says.
