$80m bulky goods centre for Gungahlin
May 27, 2009
A Sydney investment company has lodged plans for an $80 million bulky goods development on three levels at Gungahlin Town Centre.
An urban planning report said the massive shopping centre would be North Canberra’s biggest assembly of retailers of bulky goods – fridges, lounges, washing machines and bedding – and create hundreds of jobs.
Gungahlin Community Council president Alan Kerlin said the development would provide much needed infrastructure for the fastest growing suburb.
But the proponent, the Vinta Group, which developed Gungahlin marketplace, has warned the community council the project could be delayed by the global financial crisis. Vinta would not comment in the media. Its development application estimated $24 million for associated works and a commercial real estate agent has estimated the 28,000sq m project will be worth between $70 million and $80 million.
Vinta bought the land in Hibberson Street in 2006 and has moved vast amounts of earth in preparation for the shopping development along Hibberson Street and Gribble Streets. There will be 571 car park spaces.
Mr Kerlin said Vinta expected planning approval to take six months. He said Gungahlin was on the cusp of a 40,000 population, bigger than other Australian suburbs but with much less infrastructure. “Housing is tearing ahead at a great rate and the Government needs to pick up the speed of development.” Mr Kerlin said he remained confident the new shops, to be called the Gungahlin Lifestyle Centre, would proceed in time to dovetail into the completion of other town centre developments including a new library, secondary college and an aquatic centre.
The growth in multistorey units along Flemington Road had been a missed opportunity for the Government to commit to light rail and reap more revenue from the ensuing higher land values.
Vint’a urban planning consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff say Gungahlin, the smallest of all ACT town centres, is experiencing Canberra’s highest rate of population growth, almost 6 per cent from 2001 to 2005.
ACT Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Peters said people moving to greenfield suburbs during Gungahlin’s formative years would be unable to support bulky goods retailing. But the time has arrived when they were now in the market for better quality furniture.
The development will be completed in three stages.
Source: The Canberra Times - 27 May 2009.
The Canberra Times is published by The Federal Capital Press Pty Ltd - 9 Pirie Street, Fyshwick.
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