Foyleside a new retail complex in Derry will give a social and economic boost to the north west.
The development of the £65 million Foyleside Shopping Centre in Derry has been carried out by a group of local business people and O'Connell Developments from Boston.
The Foyleside centre is the second largest in Northern Ireland, after Belfast's CastleCourt. At over 230,000 square feet, Foyleside contains 40 retail units over three storeys. Foyleside brings important new trading names to Derry including Marks and Spencer, Dunnes Stores, Boots and Next.
The project is expected to create 1200 part-time and full-time jobs.
O'Connell Developments were attracted to the area by Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader John Hume when on a visit to Boston. He believes the centre is hugely important for retail in Derry. This positivity is echoed by Church of Ireland bishop of Derry and Raphoe James Mehaffey. In his opinion, the Foyleside development is the biggest single venture of its kind in the history of the city.
It's part of the ongoing renewal of the city, social life, and its economic life and hopefully its political life.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 25 September 1995. The reporter is Michael Fisher.
