A round-up of other stories in brief

Square shop for €1.8 million

A retail investment at The Square shopping centre in Tallaght, Co Dublin, has come on the market through agent Savills HOK. The Replay shop on level two in the busy central concourse has an advised minimum value of €1.8 million which would provide an investor with an equivalent yield of 4.63 per cent. There is a personal guarantee on the lease which has another 21 years to run. The rent is €70,000 and, according to Jackie Brennan of Savills HOK, there is potential for a significant increase when the next rent review takes place in August 2009. The shop extends to 44sq m (474sq ft).

Tom Taylor opens its first Irish store at Jervis centre

German fashion retailer Tom Taylor has opened its first Irish store at the Jervis centre in Dublin. The multiple has moved into a store of 270sq m (2,906sq ft) on the first level of the centre. The rent of €325,000 per annum equates to a Zone A rate of €3,423 per sq m (€318 per sq ft).

Specialising in mid-priced casual clothing for men, women and children, Tom Taylor is a well-established fashion retailer selling products in 45,000 stores in 80 countries. The company was founded in Germany in 1962.

Darragh Cronin of Savills HOK said the new arrival will complement the wide mix of fashion outlets already trading, including Stradivarius, Bershka and Schuh on the first floor of the centre. Apart from landlord buy backs, he said shops within the centre rarely come on the open market.

Shankill redevelopment site sells for close to €7m guide

Lisney has agreed sale terms at close to the asking price of €7 million for a redevelopment site at Dublin Road in Shankill, Co Dublin. A detached house, Cremorine, stands on the site which extends to 1.75 acres. The expectation is that the planners will allow about 30 houses per acre.

Over €1.7m for Dublin 8 bar, Parkgate Street pub for over €2m

CB Richard Ellis is seeking offers over €1.7 million for a purpose-built bar, Murrays, at Bow Lane, Dublin 8. The business is close to the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, as well as an extensive new business and residential quarter being developed opposite Heuston Station. When completed the development will contain 350 apartments and 60,000sq m (645,834sq ft) of offices. Murrays is located on the ground and basement levels of a recently built apartment development.

The same agent is inviting offers over €2 million for Rea's licensed premises at Parkgate Street, Dublin 7. The premises is close to the new law court block which is under construction by the OPW.

Two accountancy firms take space at Cork office park

Two more companies are moving into Blackpool Office Park which was developed by Neill Love's Shipton Group.

Logan Associates and Robert Nathan Corporate & Private bring the number of accountancy firms in the park to six. The two latest arrivals will be based in The Atrium which has 10,033sq m (108,000sq ft) of floor space. Joint agents Savills HOK and Cohalan Downing & Associates are marketing the remaining 2,415sq m (26,000sq ft) which is available in units from 185.8sq m (2,000sq ft). Selling prices for the tax-designated offices are €4,305 per sq m (€400 per sq ft). Rents are at €193 per sq m (€18 per sq ft).

Free Spirit to open first store in North at Belfast's Victoria Square

Irish health and beauty salon, Free Spirit, is to open its first outlet in Northern Ireland at Victoria Square in Belfast which is due to begin trading on March 6th. The company is to offer beauty, nails, hair and holistic therapy treatments, as well as a female-friendly gym.

Other recent signings for Victoria Square include Levi, fashion footwear Faith, lingerie store La Senza and UK fashion trader Hobbs.

Appointments at consultancy

WK Nowlan & Associates has made two appointments to its team of management consultants and property asset managers. Frank O'Neill, who has been with the practice for 18 months, and John Vaudin, who formerly worked with Treasury Holdings, are joining the board as directors. The partnership was also recently joined by Peter Coyne, formerly chief executive officer of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. He will head up the consortium - led by WK Nowlan & Associates and recently appointed by the Grangegorman Development Agency as framework consultants - for the redevelopment of the Grangegorman site.