Fit-outs of the retail units are in full swing, a large-scale marketing and advertising campaign is about to begin and John O'Sullivan, the developer behind the centre, is delighted that a long-held dream is finally coming to fruition.

So too is Tim Hayes, president of the Athlone Chamber of Commerce. "The entire Midlands community has long dreamed of having its own Grafton Street and now it's becoming reality," he says.

O'Sullivan believes that the exceptionally designed development will fit in well with Athlone's traditional shopping centre, as well as providing an exciting new experience for its future shoppers.

The new centre will feature new and engaging covered streetscapes with a mix of single and double-height units and plazas, which will all combine to make a contemporary and relaxed shopping environment.

The anchor in the development will be Marks & Spencer, with a 1,579 sq m unit, its 16th retail outlet in the Republic and its 30th on the island of Ireland.

It will have the new M&S signature style, with contemporary interior design and will include a wide range of fashion for women, men and children, as well as a food hall with an in-store bakery.

Jim McNicholas, regional manager Ireland, says: "We've been looking to open a store in the Midlands for a while and are very pleased to have secured such a great location."

The compliment is returned by Jim Keane, director of Gallico Developments, the firm that has developed the centre: "We are thrilled to have secured Marks & Spencer as an anchor tenant."

Many other international names have also signed up for the centre. Promod, the French high street fashion chain, has chosen Athlone for its first Irish outlet, while Zara will have a state-of-the-art store, covering a 1,100 sq m space, trading on to the Civic Plaza and the upper mall, beside M&S.

The Swedish retailer H&M will have a 1,400 sq m unit on two mall levels. Its country manager Magnus Olsson says: "Our Irish stores have been hugely successful and we have no doubt that Athlone will be the same. We are delighted to be opening in a centre with such a strong fashion focus, featuring the best of Irish and international retailers."

Other major retailers who will be there include Carphone Warehouse, Clark's shoes, Coast, Du Pareil au Même, Esprit, Monsoon, River Island, Tommy Hilfiger, Vero Moda and Virgin.

Monsoon will be selling women and children's fashions as well as high-fashion jewellery and accessories in Accessorize, in a total of 416 sq m. River Island will have 354 sq m for fashion for young male and female shoppers.

Indigenous Irish retailers will also make up a substantial presence at Athlone Towncentre. These companies will include Elverys, Ireland's largest sports retailer, with a 550 sq m store, and Fields, which will be stocking a mix of high fashion gold and silver jewellery, leading brand watches and diamonds.

McGorisk's Pharmacy, which already has two shops in Athlone's town centre, will provide the new centre with its only pharmacy and will also be the largest cosmetic pharmacy in the Midlands.

Nicola Ross of Gallico says: "Our aim was to have a minimum 10 per cent of the space let to Irish retailers and we have certainly achieved that."

In total, the new centre will include nearly 28,000 sq m of retailing, as well as a four-star 166-bedroom hotel and parking for 1,300 cars. It will also create 1,000 jobs.

Bannon, the scheme's letting agent, adds that it has achieved in excess of the originally quoted rents of €2,000 per sq m zone A.

As of the end of July, final opportunities remained for ladies' shoes, lingerie, a camera shop, mobile phones, hairdressers, children's toys and a newsagent. Marcus Wren, retail director of Bannon, said that the centre was exactly 91 per cent let.

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