Dublin’s Jervis Shopping Centre’s new owners have sought permission to make further changes to create space for a new leisure and retail offering.Last year, the 23,000sq m shopping centre was acquired by UK-headquartered retail investor Pradera and Connecticut-based Cross Ocean Partners for close to €115 million.The new owners have lodged plans with Dublin City Council to make changes to the development, which has a vacancy rate of close to 30 per cent.A planning application lodged this week is for permission to subdivide a 3,562sq m unit previously occupied by fashion retailer New Look into two units. The space has been vacant since New Look’s liquidation in February last year.The application said one of the new units created would span 2,180sq m and be used as an amusement and leisure facility, with scope for retail, restaurant and bar facilities. The second unit created would remain in retail use.A planning report filed with the application said the retail unit in its current form had been marketed extensively, but no offers had been received. “There is limited market demand for a single anchor retail unit of this format and scale, which has rendered the unit difficult to re-let in its former retail use,” JSA Planning, acting on behalf of Jervis Shopping Centre, said.The application did not clarify which business has agreed to lease the leisure space. It said the expected tenant had intentions to provide amusements, including bowling alleys, mini electrical go-karts, mini golf, arcade games and pool.The centre’s owners applied for permission in recent weeks to convert a long-vacant unit into a restaurant space.The 1,400sq m unit on the first floor was previously occupied by US youth fashion retailer Forever 21 until it closed its Irish business in January 2018. Pradera senior director Maeve Foley said retail would remain the predominant use in the centre even if these conversion plans were approved.“These plans are an exciting step towards creating new ways for people to shop, meet, eat and socialise right in the heart of the city, drawing on Pradera’s experience in transforming city-centre retail destinations. “The proposed development reflects the wider shift towards places that combine shopping with leisure, food and social experiences while supporting a vibrant and commercially sustainable future for the centre.”Pradera manages retail properties and has more than €5 billion worth of shopping centres and retail parks across nine countries in its portfolio, including Blanchardstown Centre.