Latest news with #MCore
Scottish Sun
16-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Popular buffet chain to open new restaurant in busy Scots shopping centre
Details have been revealed on when the new eatery is set to open FOOD FEAST Popular buffet chain to open new restaurant in busy Scots shopping centre Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POPULAR buffet chain is set to open a new restaurant in one of the largest shopping centres in Scotland - and visitors will love it. Marble Buffet is set to open its first-ever venue in a Scottish mall with a new location in The Centre, Livingston. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Marble Buffet will open a new venue in The Centre, Livingston Credit: Andrew Barr It comes as part of bosses' huge expansion plans after several retailers opened new stores in the shopping centre. The new eatery will be located above Nando's on Almondvale Boulevard and will span over 15,770 sq ft. It will also be contemporary designed with 380 seats, where hungry shoppers can choose from a wide selection of dishes from around the world The new restaurant will feature live cooking stations with skilled chefs whipping up Asian, Indian and European meals. It is expected to open next year in May 2026 and will create a total of 35 new jobs for the local area. The new restaurant will complement the existing diverse mix of over 150 stores and eateries at The Centre. This is a really exciting time for us at Marble Buffet as we count down to the launch of our first restaurant in a shopping centre Marble Buffet spokesperson This includes Flannels, H&M, River Island, M&S, Hotel Chocolat, Wagamama and Five Guys, spanning over 1 million sq ft. Rakesh Joshi, Director at LCP, part of M Core, spoke of his delight after the plans of the new restaurant were unveiled. They said: 'We are delighted to welcome another fantastic restaurant, Marble Buffet, to our wide mix of existing places to dine out at The Centre, Livingston. 'We are dedicated to ensuring that all of our new openings continue to keep the shopping centre firmly on the Scottish map as the number one destination to visit and enjoy a great day out with family and friends.' The Viking Centre: Britain's first American-style mall faces demolition A Marble Buffet spokesperson added: 'This is a really exciting time for us at Marble Buffet as we count down to the launch of our first restaurant in a shopping centre. 'The Centre, Livingston, is the perfect location for us. "We are really looking forward to welcoming customers locally, and from afar, who want to savour the taste of lots of different international cuisines, all under one roof, where there's something to suit all tastes.' Simon Eatough, Director at LCP, part of M Core and Asset Manager of The Centre Livingston, said this is just the first of many "exciting announcements" in the pipeline. He said said: 'We are really looking forward to the opening of Marble Buffet's first site in a shopping centre early next year and are delighted they will be creating new jobs in West Lothian. 'The new restaurant will give our visitors even more choice when it comes to enjoying quality time dining out. STILL TO COME... MARBLE buffet isn't the only new venue that is set to open in The Centre, Livingston in the coming months. is getting ready to welcome customers to their new jewellery store sometime in August. The family-run company first opened in 1856 and now has 118 branches across the UK offering a wide range of products for every age, taste and occasion. The new store will be located next to Ryman and will span over 1,395 sq ft, with a dedicated space that offers jewellery and watch repairs. And it set to bring six new jobs to the shopping centre. In addition to welcoming new retailers, owners LCP, part of M Core, also recently announced plans to expand into the leisure sector. Hollywood Bowl, is set to open a 26,000 sq. ft. venue next year featuring 22 cutting-edge bowling lanes, an arcade and a bar and diner. 'We will continue to strengthen the existing diverse range of eateries and shops at The Centre, Livingston, with even more exciting announcements coming soon.' It comes after several retailers opened new stores inside The Centre, Livingston over the last 18 months. Cinnabon recently welcomed customers into its branch inside the shopping mall, which was the firm's first-ever Scottish store. A 90-seater Starbucks branch also opened inside the shopping centre alongside a new Las Iguanas venue which serves flame-grilled Latin American dishes. Other shops that opened included wellbeing store Rituals, Danish lifestyle and homeware brand Sostrene Grene, Pop Specs, and The Designer Rooms.
Irish Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
UK investor pays €34m for Arena Centre in south Dublin
UK-headquartered private equity real estate manager Henderson Park is understood to have secured about €34 million from the sale of the Arena Centre in Tallaght , Dublin 24. The mixed-use scheme, which is located next to Tallaght Stadium and almost directly opposite the landmark Square Shopping Centre, has been acquired by UK and European real-estate investment manager M Core. The Arena Centre is the company's first investment in the Irish market. The sale of the property comes just over five years on from its purchase by Henderson Park, which secured ownership of the scheme as part of its record-setting €1.34 billion purchase of Green Reit. The Arena Centre extends to 29,858 sq m (321,385 sq ft) in total and consists of a mix of retail, office, and hotel accommodation. The development is 98 per cent occupied and home to anchor tenants including Bank of Ireland, Woodie's DIY, and the Maldron Hotel which includes an adjoining leisure centre, and a central surface car park which provides car parking for retail customers. READ MORE It is situated just minutes from the Luas Red Line, the M50 motorway, and the N81. While the €34 million paid by M Core is substantially less than the €65 million guide price Green Reit attached to the Arena Centre when it first looked to sell the scheme in 2016, the current sale did not include 63 apartments that were included as part of that original process. [ Henderson Park seeks €45m for Arena Centre in south Dublin Opens in new window ] Green Reit sold the apartment portfolio to UK-based SeaPoint Capital for €9.25 million in 2017. Also excluded from the latest sale was the Arena Centre's Lidl store, which is owner-occupied, and a further 167 apartments which are held by a mix of owner-occupiers and private investors. The Irish Times understands also that M Core sold the Woodie's premises to another investor upon the completion of the €34 million deal with Henderson Park. M Core says it plans to invest significantly in the Arena Centre as part of its management strategy. Early improvements are expected to include the installation of digital display screens, EV chargers in partnership with Pogo, as well as food trucks and kiosks. David Nolan, associate director at M Core said: 'I grew up in Dublin, not far from Tallaght, and I've watched the area evolve over the years. That local insight proved invaluable when shaping our business plan for the Arena Centre. Agent JLL advised Henderson Park on the sale of the Arena Centre. M Core was represented in the transaction by Cushman & Wakefield.
Bloomberg
16-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Henderson Park Sells Discounted Dublin Office, Hotel Complex
By and Natasha Voase Save Private equity firm Henderson Park Capital Partners UK is selling one of its Irish assets to family office M Core, according to people familiar with the matter. The Arena Centre in Tallaght, a Dublin suburb, is being bought for just shy of the €35 million ($40.7 million) guide price, the people said. The mixed-used asset including office and retail had already been up for sale before, but failed to find a buyer.
Glasgow Times
01-06-2025
- Science
- Glasgow Times
Calls to restore 'unique' aspect of Glasgow's Princes Square
Installed in the late 1980s after the Victorian square was renovated into a postmodern shopping gallery, it swung to and fro for decades, tracking the path of the Earth's rotation. Yet, time has taken its toll — and the pendulum no longer serves as a living science experiment in Glasgow City Centre. READ MORE: Council under fire after using AI to help form new policy on smartphones in schools For the last several years; it has been dormant, frozen. It is my first time in Princes Square and as I ride an escalator to the basement level, I'm keen to see what the fuss is all about. Because after years of inactivity, science-minded Glaswegians have launched a campaign to get the pendulum swinging again. The pendulum, viewed from above. (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) Glasgow City Heritage Trust boss Niall Murphy tells me that he first noticed the pendulum was no longer working while he was at lunch in the gallery last week. After checking the weight, he found it had been deactivated. Created as an experiment by French scientist Leon Foucault 170 years ago, the pendulum's oscillation over a 24 hour period demonstrates the Earth's rotation. There are at least 130 Foucault pendulums across Europe, including 12 in the UK. Murphy tells me: 'The pendulum is part of the original set-up in Princes Square. It's one of the small details that make the space feel very special and adds to the sense of place. 'It was made by the California Academy of Science in San Francisco back in the 1980s, around the same time 'Foucault's Pendulum' by Umberto Eco was written, funnily enough. It has travelled a long way to be here.' Murphy says the shopping centre, which was named as Scotland's favourite building in 2016, is a 'great place' and 'fantastic space' which houses a lot of unique details paying homage to the city's artistic history. Sitting adjacent to Buchanan Street, the shell of the building was designed in the 1840s, before being renovated and covered with a glass atrium in the late 1980s. The site was sold to property developers M Core in 2024. 'It is a really good example of a postmodern space in the city. Ironically, directly opposite from where the pendulum is in the basement there is a heritage wall,' Murphy notes, 'which highlights all the different and unique features of the building.' The pendulum was installed in the 1980s, as this photo shows. (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) The pendulum is easy enough to find, located at the centre of the building and wedged in between seating for Zibibbo and il Pavone restaurants. Patrons sip cocktails and nibble on tapas as I peer at the abandoned pendulum, snapping photos from several angles. I must look quite strange. Ironically, the wall that Murphy mentioned hails the pendulum as a key 'design feature' of the building, with one excerpt stating: 'In 1851, Jean Bernard Leon Foucault, the French physicist, demonstrated a free-swinging pendulum suspended from the dome of the Pantheon in Paris to conclusively prove that the Earth rotates. 'A weight suspended in this manner continues swinging in one direction relative to the sun while the Earth rotates. The northern hemisphere's anti-clockwise rotations produce an apparent clockwise rotation of the pendulum. Magnets have been mounted at the tip of the cable to counteract air resistance and gravity.' A petition calling on the centre's owners to reactivate the pendulum was created in July 2023, but lay dormant until a surge of interest this week. Paul Sweeney MSP, who is keenly aware of the importance of retaining Glasgow's heritage, tells me he is backing the petition. He said: 'Glasgow is lucky to have a Foucault Pendulum in Princes Square, but it is a shame to see it is no longer working. 'Reactivating the pendulum would be tremendous for Glasgow. It would allow Glaswegians to continue to marvel at the remarkable scientific discovery, and it would show a willingness to preserve scientific heritage in public spaces. 'I will be writing to the management of Princes Square to ask them to ensure that the pendulum is in working order and I encourage people to take a few minutes to sign the petition." Read more: 'Fun police': Decision made on the selling of ice cream in Glasgow parks In the depths of Princes Square, huddled between tables of people eating lunch and the hurried footsteps of passersby, I gaze at the pendulum, now still. I'm met with a wave of nostalgia. You see, this is all oddly familiar. Growing up near Philadelphia, a highlight of the school calendar was a trip to the Franklin Institute, an ornate science centre named after Benjamin Franklin, he of key and kite. At the heart of the museum, near the IMAX screen and planetarium, hangs a Foucualt pendulum, four stories off the ground. It has swung for more than 80 years, with a 85 foot wire pulling a 180 pound orb from side to side. It's a memory I have tucked away in the back of my psyche, faint and faded — but the magic remains. Sadly, that sense of wonder appears to have been lost in some quarters. The Benjamin Franklin Institute is located in Philadelphia. (Image: Dan Mall/Unsplash) As campaign organiser Ethan Slater wrote on 'The motionless Foucault's Pendulum in Princes Square has left a lasting impact on those who frequent the area. Its stillness has deprived people of a captivating spectacle. 'The absence of this intriguing pendulum robs the community of a unique educational and cultural experience, as it once served as a source of wonder and curiosity, especially for students and science enthusiasts.' This is an issue which goes behind the glass walls of Princes Square. As Murphy notes, the fate of the pendulum mimics what is taking place across the city, as historic motifs and architectural flourishes are being removed. READ MORE: 10 Glasgow areas set to have fireworks ban The heritage boss tells me: 'There are a lot of details in the building which are all to do with the Tree of Life — a lot of Mackintosh's designs play on this theme. 'Some of these details are being lost — they've been covered over and are disappearing. It's somewhat depressing. 'It's unfortunate, because features like the pendulum add to the sense of place for these buildings. But no one seems to care. We need to fight against this attitude.' Indeed, apathy is one of the biggest challenges in the battle to maintain the built fabric of Glasgow. How do we convince Glaswegians that beauty deserves to be protected, that the buildings around us tell a deeper story, one which is lost when they end up gutted or on the scrap heap? Perhaps, it is as simple as looking up — and embracing the magic and wonder once again.
The Herald Scotland
01-06-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Calls to restore 'unique' aspect of Glasgow shopping centre
Yet, time has taken its toll — and the pendulum no longer serves as a living science experiment in Glasgow City Centre. For the last several years; it has been dormant, frozen. It is my first time in Princes Square and as I ride an escalator to the basement level, I'm keen to see what the fuss is all about. Because after years of inactivity, science-minded Glaswegians have launched a campaign to get the pendulum swinging again. The pendulum, viewed from above. (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) Glasgow City Heritage Trust boss Niall Murphy tells me that he first noticed the pendulum was no longer working while he was at lunch in the gallery last week. After checking the weight, he found it had been deactivated. Created as an experiment by French scientist Leon Foucault 170 years ago, the pendulum's oscillation over a 24 hour period demonstrates the Earth's rotation. There are at least 130 Foucault pendulums across Europe, including 12 in the UK. Murphy tells me: 'The pendulum is part of the original set-up in Princes Square. It's one of the small details that make the space feel very special and adds to the sense of place. 'It was made by the California Academy of Science in San Francisco back in the 1980s, around the same time 'Foucault's Pendulum' by Umberto Eco was written, funnily enough. It has travelled a long way to be here.' Murphy says the shopping centre, which was named as Scotland's favourite building in 2016, is a 'great place' and 'fantastic space' which houses a lot of unique details paying homage to the city's artistic history. Sitting adjacent to Buchanan Street, the shell of the building was designed in the 1840s, before being renovated and covered with a glass atrium in the late 1980s. The site was sold to property developers M Core in 2024. 'It is a really good example of a postmodern space in the city. Ironically, directly opposite from where the pendulum is in the basement there is a heritage wall,' Murphy notes, 'which highlights all the different and unique features of the building.' The pendulum was installed in the 1980s, as this photo shows. (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) The pendulum is easy enough to find, located at the centre of the building and wedged in between seating for Zibibbo and il Pavone restaurants. Patrons sip cocktails and nibble on tapas as I peer at the abandoned pendulum, snapping photos from several angles. I must look quite strange. Ironically, the wall that Murphy mentioned hails the pendulum as a key 'design feature' of the building, with one excerpt stating: 'In 1851, Jean Bernard Leon Foucault, the French physicist, demonstrated a free-swinging pendulum suspended from the dome of the Pantheon in Paris to conclusively prove that the Earth rotates. 'A weight suspended in this manner continues swinging in one direction relative to the sun while the Earth rotates. The northern hemisphere's anti-clockwise rotations produce an apparent clockwise rotation of the pendulum. Magnets have been mounted at the tip of the cable to counteract air resistance and gravity.' A petition calling on the centre's owners to reactivate the pendulum was created in July 2023, but lay dormant until a surge of interest this week. Paul Sweeney MSP, who is keenly aware of the importance of retaining Glasgow's heritage, tells me he is backing the petition. He said: 'Glasgow is lucky to have a Foucault Pendulum in Princes Square, but it is a shame to see it is no longer working. 'Reactivating the pendulum would be tremendous for Glasgow. It would allow Glaswegians to continue to marvel at the remarkable scientific discovery, and it would show a willingness to preserve scientific heritage in public spaces. 'I will be writing to the management of Princes Square to ask them to ensure that the pendulum is in working order and I encourage people to take a few minutes to sign the petition." Read more from Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco: Top Scottish universities to review trans policies after Supreme Court ruling Time to 'reflect and remember' says artist behind Perthshire Covid installation Glasgow drivers racked up £1.7m in LEZ fines since 2023, figures show 'Troubling direction' or 'targeting exploitation': Gen Z debates Unbuyable bill In the depths of Princes Square, huddled between tables of people eating lunch and the hurried footsteps of passersby, I gaze at the pendulum, now still. I'm met with a wave of nostalgia. You see, this is all oddly familiar. Growing up near Philadelphia, a highlight of the school calendar was a trip to the Franklin Institute, an ornate science centre named after Benjamin Franklin, he of key and kite. At the heart of the museum, near the IMAX screen and planetarium, hangs a Foucualt pendulum, four stories off the ground. It has swung for more than 80 years, with a 85 foot wire pulling a 180 pound orb from side to side. It's a memory I have tucked away in the back of my psyche, faint and faded — but the magic remains. Sadly, that sense of wonder appears to have been lost in some quarters. The Benjamin Franklin Institute is located in Philadelphia. (Image: Dan Mall/Unsplash) As campaign organiser Ethan Slater wrote on 'The motionless Foucault's Pendulum in Princes Square has left a lasting impact on those who frequent the area. Its stillness has deprived people of a captivating spectacle. 'The absence of this intriguing pendulum robs the community of a unique educational and cultural experience, as it once served as a source of wonder and curiosity, especially for students and science enthusiasts.' This is an issue which goes behind the glass walls of Princes Square. As Murphy notes, the fate of the pendulum mimics what is taking place across the city, as historic motifs and architectural flourishes are being removed. The heritage boss tells me: 'There are a lot of details in the building which are all to do with the Tree of Life — a lot of Mackintosh's designs play on this theme. 'Some of these details are being lost — they've been covered over and are disappearing. It's somewhat depressing. 'It's unfortunate, because features like the pendulum add to the sense of place for these buildings. But no one seems to care. We need to fight against this attitude.' Indeed, apathy is one of the biggest challenges in the battle to maintain the built fabric of Glasgow. How do we convince Glaswegians that beauty deserves to be protected, that the buildings around us tell a deeper story, one which is lost when they end up gutted or on the scrap heap? Perhaps, it is as simple as looking up — and embracing the magic and wonder once again.
