What's brewing in Golden Island car park?
Popular 90s band Blur sang famously about how much they needed “Coffee and TV” in the popular hit of the same name, while Bob Dylan just wanted “one more cup of coffee for the road”.
Well, both could soon get their wish should they land in Athlone as a portion of Golden Island Shopping Centre's car park could soon become home to a drive-through coffee shop, if newly revealed plans progress to construction.
What's envisaged by applicant Int Inv (I) GP Ltd is “a single storey pavilion drive-through coffee shop for the sale and consumption, on and off the premises of food and beverages” in what's described as the North West quadrant of the car park.
Common in many other countries, drive-through coffee shops are a relatively new concept to Ireland but with a rise in coffee culture and the popularity of having food or drinks on the go means they are starting to pop in various locations in Dublin and the commuter belt.
According to the plans lodged with Westmeath County Council on February 25, the coffee shop would cover some 207 square metres of space or 2,228 square feet, and would result in the reconfiguration of the existing car park to make way for the building, a vehicle circulation route and a collection point. External seating, signage, landscaping, and site works are also included in the new proposals.
The second element of the application concerns “the relocation of 41 car spaces within the North East corner” of the car park and landscaped area.
Existing pedestrian pathways and landscaping will be reconfigured as a result of these changes.
Car parking for the new coffee shop development will be provided by existing car spaces available for the shopping centre, a Road and Services Report lodged in support of the application explains, and while over 40 spaces will be lost due to the development, just under 800 will remain.
A photomontage accompanying the application shows that the building would be located in the corner of the car park close to Burgess Park side entrance road, just off the Dunnes, Irishtown roundabout.
Access to the coffee shop will be by the current access arrangements, that is, via the existing access road and car park.
The applicant, Int Inv (I) GP Ltd, with a registered address at 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, is expected to discover the verdict of planners by April 21 next.