IN PICTURES: See artists impressions of major development on the site of a former Laois shopping centre

Artists impressions of a major new development might look like on the site of a former shopping centre in Portlaoise have been lodged with the Council. 

Centrepoint Partners are proposing to build 217 homes consisting of apartments and houses, a creche, restaurant, shops and office space on the 4.96 hectare Centrepoint Shopping Centre site at Maryborough in Portlaoise. 

The plans which were lodged with Laois County Council this week would see a complete redevelopment of the Centrepoint site which had been a landmark retail location for the midlands before its closure in 2008. Click NEXT for more images. Read more below.

The 217 homes will consist of 74 houses, 141 apartments including duplexes and two assisted living units. The properties will be made up of nine semi-detached two storey 4 bed townhouses;  37  semi-detached and terraced two and three storey 3 bed townhouses; 18  semi-detached and terraced two storey 2 bed townhouses; 10  detached and semi-detached 2 bed single storey lifetime homes; Two detached single storey 5 bed assisted living units with in-house carer accommodation. The apartments will consist of  29  one bed, 61  two bed, and 51  three bed own door apartments and duplex apartments in three and four storey blocks. 

Two planned mixed use three storey commercial buildings will consist of a 416.6sq.m creche over two floors to accommodate 61 children and support staff with dedicated playground with separate 359.8sq.m office space and ancillary accommodation to first and second floors with separate entrance at ground level; and a separate 2,208.9sq.m three storey commercial building with public plaza facing onto Mountrath Street consisting of 511.5sq.m of ground floor retail space and a 311.5sq.m restaurant

The ambitious plan is at pre-validation stage with Laois County Council who are expected to decide on the project in March 2026.