The Point Depot in Dublin is to be redeveloped into a £100 million entertainment, leisure and shopping village. The retail area will occupy 175,000 sq ft. There will also be about 500 apartments and a hotel.

The owners of The Point Depot, the Apollo Leisure Group and property developer Harry Crosbie, are to seek partners to carry out the commercial and residential elements of the project, which is designed to transform the area into one of the most important focal points of the Docklands.

A planning application for the development is not to be lodged until a joint venture partner has been chosen. However, Stephen Cassidy, of Hamilton Osborne King, agents for the scheme, predicts there will be widespread interest in the development opportunity because, he says, The Point is the only area of the Docklands zoned for retail use.

The overall plan for the site envisages a development of 1.25 million sq ft of space including a new-style concert venue. The Point Depot will be remodelled and upgraded by Apollo and Mr Crosbie at a cost of £10 million. The entrance to the concert venue will be via either the stone arches on the riverside frontage or directly from a dedicated multi-storey car-park. The existing bars on the North Wall will be converted into an impressive stone walled foyer linking in to new hospitality areas.

The improvements will include the installation of upholstered seating, new restaurants and bars and better backstage and production facilities.

The Point is now the leading concert venue in the country, attracting 500,000 visitors annually and generating an economic benefit of £20 million to the city each year.

It is planned to have the new facilities and the multi-storey car-park completed by 2001.

The new Point Village will have a hotel on the corner facing the East Link roundabout. The proposed district shopping complex will be located in the centre of the site and will have a retail area of 175,000 sq ft to accommodate an anchor food store and unit shopping.

The retail centre will cater not only for the expected increase in population to 25,000 in the Docklands but also for the suburbs of Clontarf and Fairview on the north side and Sandymount and Ringsend on the south side. The location of The Point beside the East Link Bridge and the site of the proposed National Conference Centre will be further enhanced by the opening of the Macken Street bridge and the Port Access Tunnel.

The leisure facilities planned for the North Wall site include a multiplex cinema and a range of family entertainment attractions. There will be car-parking underneath the shopping centre and the cinema and leisure complex on the upper levels.

Gar Holohan of Holohan Architects said the new Point has been designed to highlight more of the features of the listed building. The unsightly fire escapes will be removed from the side walls and the stone arches will be opened up and restored to their original state.

"Overall, the aim is to create a venue which will build on the unique character of The Point and provide patrons with high standards of comfort."