Entertainment centre earmarked for Irishtown

Irishtown could soon become Athlone's newest entertainment hub, should expected new proposals for the largely vacant old Texas shopping centre get off the ground.

A planning application is due to be lodged within a week or so for a major indoor entertainment centre on the prominent site which could draw thousands of people a year through the doors and create up to 40 jobs.
Indoor karting, a restaurant, a coffee dock, a soda bar, virtual reality area and a roller disco are just some of the facilities being touted for the old shopping centre in Irishtown, which initially was courting major retail tenants but now has moved to the entertainment sphere.
Minister Kevin 'Boxer Moran, who has been in discussions with the developers, said this week he is delighted to see the planning application coming for this prime site which has been largely unused in recent years.
“It's exciting news. They (developers) reckon this centre can bring 100,000 people a year to Athlone. It's a major piece of infrastructure in terms of entertainment,” he said.
Should it progress through planning, it will represent a big investment in the town and could create up to 40 jobs, he pointed out, estimating the facility could be open by March next year if it gets green light from the council. 
Initially, the owners indicated that the shopping centre would open sometime this year following a €2 million refurbishment to reconfigure and modernise the premises for top retailers. However, in the interim the use of this prominent building has moved into entertainment and activities. It is not thought to have any of the elements of a gaming arcade.
The old Athlone Shopping Centre/Texas Centre, as many still call it, was sold in late 2017 to an investment fund connected with the Mullingar-based Bennett Construction company for less than the asking price of €2.3million.
In all, the mall boasts just over 89,000 square feet of retail space over three levels on a 2.85 acre site. 
There have been concerns that the Irishtown area has fallen behind other parts of the town in recent years.