27 August 2008
CHARTERED LAND ANNOUNCES EUR1BILLION EXPANSION PLANS
FOR SWORDS PAVILIONS

CHARTERED LAND, one of Ireland's leading commercial property companies, today (27 August 2008) announced that it has applied for planning permission to Fingal County Council for a major expansion of Swords Pavilions shopping centre. The proposal represents a EUR1bn investment in the centre and is expected to create up to 3000 jobs during construction, with a total of 4000 to be employed at the centre on completion in 2013.

Subject to planning permission being granted, this further expansion of Swords Pavilions will add over 100 small and large retail units, two major flagship department stores, almost 200 residential units and four blocks of office space with associated car parking. Chartered Land's plans have been drawn up to reflect Fingal County Council's overall masterplan for Swords. The 'Strategic Vision for Swords' has, as its aim, the creation of a sustainable new city of over 100,000 people, with improved shopping facilities and strong commercial, cultural and social amenities.

Speaking of the scheme for Swords Pavilions, Dominic Deeny, Chief Executive, Chartered Land, said: "We have been particularly conscious of ensuring that our plans for Swords Pavilions are totally in keeping with and supportive of the evolving plans that Fingal County Council has for Swords. We are keenly aware of the needs of this part of North County Dublin which is set to continue its population growth well into the future. While our expansion plans could well stand alone on their own merits, they will be all the stronger in the context of the many developments envisaged within the masterplan."

Two of Ireland's leading architectural practices, Newenham Mulligan & Associates (NMA) and O'Mahony Pike (OMP), were appointed by Chartered Land to design the plans.

The expansion will incorporate a number of new naturally-ventilated public streets, meeting places and exhibition spaces - all of which will be covered by a high-level glass roof structure. Lightweight and transparent, the unique roof structure is an essential element in the scheme as it will provide the public with year-round protection from the elements. Central to the expansion will be the inclusion of over forty new restaurants and street cafés which will create an exciting new social and cultural district for the town of Swords. In addition, the expansion will include a medical centre, crèches, community rooms and a day-care centre.

"The expansion plans build on the strong commercial success Swords Pavilions has seen to date and will greatly expand the present retail offer. The centre currently attracts over 200,000 visitors each week and has become one of north Dublin's strongest shopping destinations. The expansion will firmly establish Swords Pavilions as a regional centre and in combining retail, recreational, commercial and residential uses, will create a modern, unique and vibrant urban environment," added Deeny.

Both Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser have confirmed heads of terms to become part of Swords Pavilions.

The scheme has been designed to promote a more sustainable approach to transport in the Fingal area with provision being made within the plans for enhanced bus services and improved bicycle facilities. Chartered Land's plans have been designed to fully benefit from the proposed Metro North line which would provide a direct link between Swords town centre and Dublin city centre.

Chartered Land is committed to ensuring a truly sustainable development which ties in with the emerging green city vision of Fingal County Council. The development is designed to the highest sustainable and energy efficient standards and will save in excess of 6500 tonnes of CO2 annually – this is equivalent to the annual electricity demands of 1800 houses. Swords Pavilions will pursue a 'Lean, Clean and Green' philosophy which means maximising natural ventilation, natural daylighting, low energy lighting and control, heat recovery and the use of a centralised heating network using renewable fuel sources - all of which are more readily achievable due to the mixed-use nature of the development.

Since its acquisition in 2006 by Chartered Land, Swords Pavilions has become one of Dublin's most successful shopping centres. Strategically located adjacent to the M1 at Swords, the centre currently comprises over 95 retail units and is anchored by Dunnes Stores and Superquinn.

As part of its 2007 expansion, Swords Pavilions welcomed a number of high profile tenants including Spanish retailer Zara, Du Pareil au Meme and The Body Shop. The centre also includes a variety of well known international brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Esprit and Bertoni in addition to LA Lanidor, Hughes & Hughes, Champion Sports, Bernard John Jewellers, Pulse and Butlers Chocolate Café. Yo Sushi has also opened its second Irish store at the centre. A new link leads to the 5,000 sq m Penneys store in the Swords Central development as well as the Main Street of Swords.

A year earlier in 2006 saw the opening of one of Dublin's most impressive cinema complexes. The 11-screen Movies@Swords cinema has transformed the centre into an increasingly popular leisure destination for north Dublin.

"We believe the Pavilions is well on its way to becoming the destination of choice among shoppers in north Dublin and further afield, and we are delighted that both M&S and House of Fraser have confirmed that they will be opening at Swords Pavilions. Both will offer consumers an incredible choice of quality brands and will further highlight Swords Pavilions' credentials as it steps up to regional centre status," concluded Deeny.

The Pavilions was recently named as one of Ireland's leading shopping centres in the 2008 Retail Excellence Ireland Annual Shopping Centre Productivity Review. The review, which examines the measurement of shopping centre productivity from the perspective of tenants, named the Pavilions as one of the top two shopping centres in Ireland in recognition of a number of key factors including a favourable rent investment comparable to current footfall levels being achieved by the centre. In addition, the Pavilions was rated highly in terms of moderate service charges comparable to footfall levels and the tenants' views that centre management is proactively managing and marketing the centre in a cost-efficient manner.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Paul Gray, Wilson Hartnell Public Relations
T.: 01 669 0030 / 086 371 8528
E.: paul.gray@ogilvy.com

Roddy Guiney, Wilson Hartnell Public Relations
T.: 01 669 0030 / 087 252 3095
E.: roddy.guiney@ogilvy.com

ABOUT CHARTERED LAND
Chartered Land Limited is one of Ireland's leading commercial property companies. It is committed to creating a portfolio of innovative, landmark commercial developments that redefine towns and cityscapes through ground-breaking social, cultural and retail environments.

Its current portfolio of properties includes:

SWORDS PAVILIONS, CO. DUBLIN
Acquired for over €500 million in 2006, Chartered Land’s purchase of the Swords Pavilions made history as Ireland’s largest ever single property deal. The Swords Pavilions has the potential to become a truly innovative urban environment on a scale previously unseen in the region.

"ONE CLARENDON ROW", SOUTH KING STREET, DUBLIN 2
Valued at €100 million, the development comprises a five-storey-over-basement 8,055sm block of prestigious office suites and retail, with international fashion retailers Zara, H&M and Warehouse amongst its high-profile tenants. Set to be one of the most impressive
developments in Dublin, it will extend the Grafton Street prime retail core in the heart of the city.

ILAC CENTRE, DUBLIN 1
The €60 million refurbishment of Dublin's ILAC Centre, a joint ownership with Irish Life Assurance plc.

GRAND CANAL SQUARE, DUBLIN 2
Set in the heart of Dublin's Docklands, the development includes a new square designed by Martha Schwartz and a diamond-shaped West End-style theatre. Designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. The 2000 theatre will be complemented by 35,000sm of prime commercial office space.

DUBLIN CENTRAL, DUBLIN 1
Chartered Land has applied for planning permission to Dublin City Council for the development of "Dublin Central", a 5.5 acre, mixed-use scheme in the heart of Dublin city. The proposed scheme will see the regeneration of the area centred on the old Carlton Cinema site on O’Connell Street with boundaries to Henry St., Moore St. and Parnell St., in addition to a 200 metre frontage on O’Connell Street.

ABOUT NEWENHAM MULLIGAN AND ASSOCIATES (NMA)
Newenham Mulligan and Associates (NMA) is a progressive, long established practice of architects, masterplanning, project managers and interior designers.

NMA focuses on the masterplanning, design, and delivery of imaginative, appropriate, sustainable projects tailoring to the specific context of each site. This focus includes a particular involvement with mixed use projects with a strong retail, leisure and residential content.

Recent projects include a particular involvement with mixed-use projects with a strong retail, leisure and residential content, which include:

ABOUT O'MAHONY PIKE ARCHITECTS (OMP)
O'Mahony Pike Architects (OMP) is Ireland's leading residential architecture practice, specialising in urban design and master planning.

OMP's work is nationally and internationally recognised and awarded for innovation and development in modern housing, implementing new technologies in prefabrication and research in sustainable building.

Its work includes the creation of new town centres at Adamstown, Pelletstown and Hansfield, the regeneration of Ballymun and Moyross, innovative and high profile schemes in Dublin Docklands and several PPP’s which include a new harbour and marina for Greystones.

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