Laganbank Retail Park in Lisburn is now fully occupied, commercial property agency CBRE has confirmed.

The final unit of the scheme (10,000 sq ft) has been leased to furniture retailer Upstairs Downstairs, which has today opened its doors. The site, which was developed by JH Turkington & Sons, comprises 50,000 sq ft in total and is already home to leading UK retailers such as TK Maxx, Pure Gym and Ground Coffee.

Colin Mathewson, senior director at of CBRE commented: “We are thrilled to have completed the leasing of this scheme with such high calibre tenants on behalf of the landlord.

“The development occupies a prime city centre site with easy access and excellent car parking availability, and although the general retail environment remains challenging, Laganbank Retail Park provides large retail space at affordable rents where there is currently demand.”

Geoff Sharpe, head of corporate at Danske Bank, added: “Danske Bank has worked with JH Turkington & Sons for a number of years and we are delighted to have provided the funding for its latest scheme in Lisburn.

“The business has a strong track record of identifying redevelopment opportunities with high commercial potential, but which also add value for the communities they are in.

“This project has seen extensive regeneration and redevelopment of the existing site in order to create new units that have attracted high quality tenants to the location, which in turn is of real benefit to the Lisburn area, both in terms of the retail offering and job creation.”

Michael McQuaid, owner of Upstairs Downstairs added: “This will be our second store in Northern Ireland, following on from the successful launch of our Enniskillen store in 2016.

“This store will create seven full-time jobs and a number of part-time positions, and we chose Lisburn as the next location due to its high-profile location and the volume of foot-fall in the new retail park.

“We pride ourselves on offering great quality furniture at extremely competitive prices and having been involved in the furniture trade for over 35 years we feel that we have the knowledge and experience to offer a unique experience for all of our potential future customers.”