Another redevelopment opportunity will arise shortly in Sandyford Industrial Estate when a site of 5.7 acres goes for sale next month. Morrissey's estate agency is quoting a guideline price of £2 million an acre for the high-profile site which straddles Blackthorn Drive and the proposed link road to the Southern Cross Motorway.

The agents are to invite interested parties to put forward their best offer by March 21st.

Oriflame International, the Swedish cosmetics company, is to vacate 134,000 sq ft of buildings on the site on a phased basis from May when it ceases production.

Around 140 jobs are to be lost because of the closure. Most of the space is currently used as warehousing.

The L-shaped Oriflame site is one of the best remaining opportunities to provide hightech buildings for office-based industries.

Interest in the site is likely to be strengthened by the decision of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to change its development plan to allow office-based industries on lands zoned for industrial use.

The alteration was made because of the changing nature of employment - the gradual switch from traditional industries to information technology and computer-based industries.

Microsoft's operation in Sandyford is frequently put forward as an example of a new industry which uses office-type facilities. A range of industrial and warehouse buildings in Sandyford have been redeveloped as office locations in recent years.

The largest of these projects is well advanced on the former Alert Packaging site, where Green Property is building 350,000 sq ft in two blocks.