'Central' plan shelved

The economic crisis is being blamed as the cause for the announcement this week that the €200m "Central" project planned for Blackhall is being shelved.Westmeath County Council and developers Rickaton Construction - part of the local firm Bennett Construction - have admitted that the development is not going to go ahead as planned, and that they intend to "amicably" dissolve the partnership.The development, which was to comprise 22,000 square metres of retail space, 84 residential units, 645 square metres of office space, a cultural building, a cinema, over 1,400 carparking spaces, a medical centre, creche, restaurants and cafes, was to be built on lands owned by the Council, and lands bought by Bennetts.Eugene Moore of Rickaton said the reasons for the decision were regrettable but straightforward: "The initial delays in securing a grant of planning permission brought the delivery programme for Central into the middle of the current economic crisis which means the project in its original form is currently unviable."However, he revealed, Rickaton intends drawing up new plans for the lands they own, and starting the planning process all over again, with a review to coming up with a revised version of "Central", to be developed over a longer-term phased basis."We've been trying to figure out a way of keeping it alive over the past 12-18 months, but it hasn't really worked out. It's nobody's fault," he told the Westmeath Examiner."On the upside, we have bought the land we bought, and the Council own the land they own, and we're both committed to developing that site as a retail precinct. But it will have to be on a more feasible basis. There will be a phasing of the original plan. It is going to take longer, and it will be a different design."We discussed an extension of the timetable for making the thing happen, and we were granted an extension of about a year, and that time is up."The consideration was should we get it extended again or call it quits, and try and work out a Plan B with an open mind. That is what we decided to do in the end, and it is a joint decision."Mr. Moore said that there are commitments from retailers who want to open in the town."But they're not in a position to give a 'yes'. They are interested, but not yet."The lands owned by Rickaton include the part formerly known as "Fitzsimons' Yard", and the lands behind the current Blackhall Place development (where the Westmeath Examiner is located), down to the railway line, and across to Grove Avenue (behind Wallace's Garage and down to the railway bridge). The Council owns the remainder of the lands that were included in the Central plan, including the carpark around the eircom building.