Tesco Express first tenant at €30m Beamish Counting House Development, creating 17 jobs
New Tesco Express at Beamish Counting House
THE first tenant at the €30m Beamish Counting House development in Cork City will be a new mini-supermarket, Tesco Express, due to open in a fortnight, with the creation of 17 jobs.
It’s a significant breakthrough for owners BAM whose 150,000 sq ft mixed-use development has remained vacant since it was completed two years ago, at the former Beamish & Crawford Brewery site on South Main Street.
It’s emerged also that a party is interested in buying the entire building from BAM.
In addition, joint agents Behan Irwin & Gosling (BIG) and CBRE confirmed that the office element of the scheme is “currently shortlisted for a 20,000 sq ft occupier” and that there are two “strong enquiries” for 10,000 sq ft. Grade ‘A’ offices, spread over five floors, account for 70,000 sq ft of the development.
The development also has 67 underground car parking spaces and is fronted by a 7,000 sq ft public plaza.
Tesco Express is set to occupy a high-profile 5,710 sq ft corner unit on the ground floor of the neighbouring 420-bed purpose-build student accommodation scheme, Lee Point, which forms part of the Brewery Quarter. Developed by BAM as part of the overall rejuvenation of the Beamish site, it was sold to global student accommodation providers, GSA Group.
Fit-out work has already started at the Tesco unit. Cearbhall Behan, BIG Commercial director, said “it was a clear vote of confidence in the location and scheme as a whole”.
A spokesperson for Tesco said the new store, part of an €80m investment in new store openings, refits and refurbishments, would create 17 jobs and would feature produce “from several local Cork producers”. It’s the third Tesco Express store in Cork City, adding to St Finbarr’s Express on Douglas Road and another in Dennehy’s Cross.
Further developments are also planned for the South Main Street site. Work is expected to begin shortly on the construction of two new footbridges, the first of which will link the Brewery Quarter with Crosses Green, from Lamley's Lane, to the rear of the site. A second will link Proby's Quay with the site earmarked for an €80m Event Centre.
The future of the proposed 6,000 seater Event Centre is still uncertain, eight years into the process. In September, Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney said it was at a "crucial point".
Other public realm changes are in the pipeline too, with nearby Bishop Lucey Park set to undergo a major upgrade.
