Barkhill, a joint venture between Grosvenor and property company O’Callaghan Properties, and Aviva Investors are to lodge a planning application for Liffey Valley Town Centre.

The €500m proposals plan to create an additional 667,368 sq ft of mixed use space with 581,256 sq ft of retail space including a large foodstore, two anchor department stores and 60 retail units.

Advisor Larry Brennan, retail director at Savills, said: ‘A food store will help enhance the Liffey Valley experience, finally providing the one vital retail element people have been waiting for since we originally opened.’

The new town centre will include a Civic Square.

The expansion is expected to be completed by 2013.

The planning application is being lodged with South Dublin County Council in response to Liffey Valley Local Area Plan which incorporates a masterplan to guide the future development of Liffey Valley Town Centre.

The existing Liffey Valley shopping centre was opened in 1998 and is owned by Grosvenor and Aviva.

It attracts more than 10m shoppers per year.