The rapidly improving fortunes of the Grafton Street/Wicklow Street area of Dublin city are to get a further boost with news that the long-running showrooms operated by the Department of the Environment at the junction of Trinity Street and St Andrew Street are to be converted for use as a high street store.

The well-located, four-storey over basement building is within sight of H&M's large new store, which opened earlier this year in the former Northern Bank premises next to Andrew Street Post office. The planned conversion of the former information showrooms is likely to attract interest from a range of international fashion and lifestyle traders waiting for a suitable premises in the Grafton Street area. The building was bought last year for around €3.5 million by the Coliemore Partnership, an investment vehicle controlled by property developer Francis Rhatigan, which has since secured planning permission to introduce radical changes to the building.

For a start, it is planned to create 610sq m (6,566sq ft) of net retail space at ground , basement and first-floor levels. Work is also to start on the provision of prestigious office facilities extending to 617sq m (6,641sq ft) on the two upper floors, which will be accessed from their own ground floor lobby. The OPW had been paying a rent of €340,000 for the building under a long lease which ran out last month.

Much of the heavy pedestrian traffic on Trinity Street stems from the number of shoppers moving constantly between Henry Street and Grafton Street via the Ha’penny Bridge.

Ben Pearson of Agar Commercial Property Consultants is handling inquiries for the new retail store and offices.