Global sports retailer Decathlon will open its third store in Ireland in the restored Clerys Quarter on O'Connell Street in Dublin city centre.
The new store, which is due to open in the middle of this year, will occupy a 30,000 square foot unit on a 30-year lease in what will be the retailer's flagship city centre store.
The new store will also see over 50 new jobs created locally, across various different areas.
Decathlon already has a shop in Ballymun in Dublin and it opened a second store in Limerick last year.
All of the retail space is now fully let at Clerys Quarter,
Decathlon will join H&M, which is currently fitting out its 30,000 square foot unit for its largest store in the city and on track to open in Spring of this year, as well as on-the-go sushi chain ROLLED, which is also due to open in the Spring.
These openings will join Pret A Manger which opened its ground floor retail unit in December last year.
The Earl Building, which makes up about a third of the office space at the development, had been sold to the Health Service Executive (HSE), on behalf of the Rotunda Hospital, for a new maternity outpatient hospital catering for over 100,000 outpatients a year.
European real estate investment group Europa along with its local partners Core Capital and Oakmount signed today's deal with Decathlon. Kevin Sweeney of Savills acted for the landlord and Michael Turley of Turley Property Advisors acted for Decathlon.
Elena Pecos, CEO at Decathlon Ireland, said that Clerys holds a special place in the hearts of many Irish people, with countless fond memories of shopping and generations of families creating traditions within its walls.
"At Decathlon, we are honoured to become a part of this legacy. Our commitment goes beyond offering sports products; it extends to creating a community hub where the people of Dublin can continue to build their active lifestyles and create new memories for generations to come," she added.
James Keast, Director of Asset Management at Europa, said the arrival of Decathlon is a major coup for Clerys Quarter and means that the entirety of the scheme's retail space is now occupied.
"The phased opening of the scheme will continue throughout 2024 and, as we near the completion of the project, we are looking forward to welcoming the community into the space," he added.
Derek McGrath, from Core Capital, said that Decathlon is an ideal addition to the wider scheme and will have huge appeal for city centre consumers.
"We look forward to its launch later in the year, which follows a number of exciting openings taking place over the coming weeks," he added.
