Meeting requested with owners of former SuperValu site in Tipperary

A meeting has been sought with the Musgrave Group, the owners of the site of the former SuperValu store in Clonmel’s town centre, in an attempt to kickstart the redevelopment of the beleaguered Market Place, where most of the shop units are unoccupied.

The area, in the biggest town in Tipperary, has been affected by several shop closures in recent years, including anchor tenant SuperValu, which closed in January 2016 with the loss of 46 jobs.

Eighteen buildings in Market Place were sold at a distressed property auction six years ago for €920,000.  

Cllr. Michael Murphy said at a meeting of Clonmel Borough District Council that the lack of progress in Market Place was disappointing. 

The biggest challenge was the absence of an anchor tenant and they needed to establish Musgrave’s’ intentions, and whether they were seeking a buyer for the site.

There was talk on the grapevine about whether Musgrave’s wanted a retail business in that area, he said. If not it could be used to build houses or a retirement village.

In Cllr. Murphy’s view the former SuperValu and Superquinn store was the second most important, key site in the town centre, after the Clonmel Arms Hotel.   

He said it would be very difficult to attract new businesses without an anchor tenant.

Cllr. Andy Moloney said they had gone through “jigs and reels” to reduce the rates on the buildings. He described the decision to clean the buildings as “a token gesture”.

Cllr. Moloney said the council was limited in what it could do, but they still needed to sit down with the owners of the buildings.

“We need to start squeezing it again”, he said.

He believed that Clonmel would be a very vibrant town once the Clonmel Arms Hotel and the former Kickham barracks were redeveloped.

Cllr. Siobhan Ambrose said it was important that people realised there were different owners of the buildings in Market Place (many of the units are owned by Remcoll Capital).

She was pleased to report that a person who had contacted her about investing in the town was now in discussions with Musgrave’s regarding the former SuperValu site.

Cllr. Pat English agreed they should contact Musgrave’s in the New Year with a view to arranging a meeting.

District Administrator Anthony Coleman agreed it was important that this strategic building was brought back into active use.

In his report to the meeting, Mr. Coleman stated that Remcoll Capital had appointed Pollard Properties, Clonmel to act as joint estate agents with Savills, and they were more proactive in advertising and marketing the retail and commercial units to local and national clients.

“The scheme is being promoted locally and nationally, appearing in editorials and in the commercial advertising section of the press, and a promotional brochure has been produced.

“The agents have enquiries from a number of potential retails”, Mr. Coleman added.

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