A $30million upgrade to Halls Head Central shopping centre has been given council approval at Tuesday night's special council meeting.
The shopping centre extension with an additional floor area of approximately 10,000sqm to include a 6000sqm discount department store, two ‘mini major’ tenancies of 1500sqm and 1000sqm respectively, additional speciality shop/café tenancies of approximately 3000sqm, an internal mall extension, an external plaza/alfresco area and playground space adjacent to the ‘main street’, refurbishment of existing entry and canopy, additional car parking and associated servicing and landscaping will now go to the Peel Joint Development Assessment Panel for final approval.
Councillor Dave Schumacher supported the upgrade at Tuesday's meeting.
"I am very happy to move the motion; these shopping centres do create jobs," he said.
"Hopefully this time it goes ahead," he said in reference to the controversial history of the project.
An upgrade to the 2002-opened shopping centre was knocked back by then-city councillors in 2006 but later granted after mediation in late 2007 with no works undertaken.
Councillor Lynn Rodger voiced her concerns over the outcome of trees already on the site and in particular a jarrah tree she believed was located where a proposed carpark would be built.
While no exact location of the tree in question could be given, planning manager Fiona Mullen said she thought the tree was outside the development area.
Under the proposal, Guava Way would remain open given some businesses in the area rely on the service of that road, but the Guava Way/Peelwood Parade intersection issue could be revisited at a later stage.
It is not known when site owner Federation Centres, who also own the Mandurah Forum, would commence development works.
Given approval was granted earlier this month for the site behind the shopping centre to fall under a bulky goods category, it is expected a Bunnings hardware store will fill the space currently occupied by bush.
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