St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre in the city should be refurbished to breathe new life into the area according to local businesses.
But more than 7,000 people have signed a petition calling for the building to be protected.
Last year this €100 million redevelopment was given the go ahead that will see offices added to the top floors, with a cinema and gallery space also proposed.
But it's led to calls for the building's ornate white façade, glass dome roof and flower baskets to be protected - with the new exterior branded bland and ugly.
Irfan Rauf from the bus stop newsagents across the road says investment is needed:
"It's a shopping centre, to generate money for the shopkeepers, the owners."
"If its not generating money if you need to change the structure, you have to change it."
Damian Byrne from the nearby Camera Centre agrees:
"I'm on for a little bit of change to bring more people into the city."
"So if we can put in some extra facilities in there to attract people."
The deadline for making appeals to An Bord Pleanala is this Friday.
