Former supermarket at NI shopping centre to be transformed into gym, cafes and restaurants

A planning application has been lodged by the Craigavon shopping centre’s owners Killahoey Limited to turn the former Sainsbury’s on the site into a range of new stores.

The renovation of the former supermarket will see the area subdivided and reconfigured to create a gym, cafe and restaurant units, retails units and an office.

The planned works will also see changes to the outside of the building, to create a new doorway and facade to the proposed gym, and the installation of glazing.

The Sainsbury’s at Rushmere closed over two years ago in February 2022.

Rushmere has seen major redevelopment in recent years after it was purchased by private investors.

Killahoey ltd bought the shopping centre in 2023 for £46.5m, some 10 months after it went into administration. Administrators Grant Thornton put the shopping centre onto the market for £57m.

Rushmere had encountered difficulties in the preceding years due to the collapse of companies such as Debenhams and Topshop.

The redevelopment plan at Rushmere first commenced in spring 2023 and has seen a number of new retailers opening their doors at the centre.

Book retailer Waterstones, homeware and lifestyle giant Miniso, sandwich outlet Subway, and speciality coffee house Fika all opened their doors last year,

Killahoey ltd is a joint venture between Northern Irish companies Sheephaven and May Street Capital.