ARNOTTS, one of Ireland's best-known department stores, has been given the go-ahead for a major $1.47 billion three-year revamp in Dublin's city center. An Bord Pleanla, the Republic's chief planning authority, on Monday this week gave the green light to plans for redevelopment of a 5.5-acre block bordered by Henry Street, Middle Abbey Street, Liffey Street and O'Connell Street into a new shopping, entertainment and residential zone, to be called the Northern Quarter.Approval of the project was subject to 26 conditions, including the preservation of several protected buildings in the area.An Post (the postal services which has responsibility for Ireland's most famous 1916 landmark GPO building in Dublin), An Taisce (the heritage protection body) and the Rail Procurement Agency were among the parties that had appealed against planning permission for the scheme that was granted by Dublin City Council last year.Among the conditions laid down, An Bord Pleanla has ruled that the developer has to provide for 24-hour public access to all of the proposed new public streets and spaces, including Abbey Square.An Arnotts spokesman said, "We are delighted with the news. It gives certainty to the very ambitious Northern Quarter project. We will work with the City Council to deal with the various conditions An Bord Pleanla has made."Arnotts refused to comment on a previous announcement that 580 of its 950 staff will be let go when the store moves temporarily to Jervis Street Shopping Center, which is one-third the size of its Henry Street site.The Arnotts spokesman said, "The news has come a bit faster than expected, so Arnotts will now sit down to assess the detail of what will happen next. Over the next few weeks, management will also work to bring clarity to the workers."When completed in 2011, the Northern Quarter is expected to employ over 5,000 people, with one-fifth of them working in the new Arnotts store.It is envisaged one of the main features will be the re-creation of Prince's Street as a pedestrian thoroughfare with a new public square at its centre.Gina Quinn, chief executive of Dublin Chamber of Commerce, said the massive redevelopment will reinvigorate the heart of Dublin city center.She said, "Not only will it have a significant impact on the city's retail variety and range of offerings, but this development will also help to transform the Henry Street area into a vibrant residential, leisure and entertainment hub." she said."The Northern Quarter will play an important part in the transformation of Dublin's city center into that of a world class city with a quality of life that is second to none."