Adelaide Hills | Developments & News

[Howie]

Retail giants to set up a $46m home in the Hills
RHIANNON HOYLE
07jul06

PLANS have been unveiled for a $46 million homemaker centre in the Adelaide Hills.

The complex will be built on a 4ha site on Dutton Rd, west of Mt Barker.

Construction is due to start within a month and should be completed early next year.

The centre, which will offer 17,000sq m of retail space, will be anchored by national retailer Harvey Norman. Spotlight also has secured one of the 13 retail tenancies in the Daycorp development.

Remaining leases are under negotiation. Cafe facilities, a 2000sq m office site and a 400-space car park also will feature

Daycorp director Travis Day said the centre would help satisfy ballooning demand in the area, driven by residential growth.

"The centre will become a major retail destination in the Hills and will help satisfy the increasing demand," he said. "Hills residents are having to travel to metropolitan centres for this kind of retail offering.

"The site will provide a local option with large-scale retail benefits."

He said the site would be similar to the Mile End Homemaker Centre, which opened in March last year.

A report commissioned by the developers found the centre would service more than 80,000 people.

General manager of strategy and development services at the District Council of Mt Barker, Henry Inat, said: "Not only has Mount Barker's population grown over the past few years by three per cent a year but also we are a regional centre which provides services to much of the Hills. The Homemaker Centre will meet the increasing demand of this significant catchment."

[crawf]

Theres actually masterplan of this, but I can't get my scanner to work . However I've written most of the following article from the local paper (the courier).

Bigger, taller, tighter Stirling
Stirling could have three multi-deck carparks, higher density residential development and its town boundaries extended under a report prepared for the Adelaide Hills Council. Consultants drew up the District Centre Concept Plan for Stirling after conducting surveys among residents, business owners and operators, and holding two workshops.

As well as the carparks and higher density allotments, the plan shows a new zone on the edge of Stirling where mixed residential/business development could occur. The town boundary is proposed to be extended along the Mt Barker Road towards Aldgate. This would enable the business and retail sector to grow as far as the Twin Street-Gould Road intersection.

The multi-deck carparks are proposed for the rear of the Oak Plaza/Stirling Tiers shops behind Woolworths and behind the Stirling Hotel. Two areas between Avenue Road & Johnson Street are suggested as suitable for higher density development (at present residential development allotment sizes in Stirling are 4000sqm, but the new plan does not suggest what the new minimum might be.)

Two new 'fringe zones' are proposed along Milan Terrace, where there could be a mixture of residential and business development. A 'civic focal point' is suggested for a site on the corner of Mt Barker Road and Merrion Terrace, currently occupied by a service station and groups of shops. Druid Avenue, the site of the Stirling Market is proposed to become a tourism/cultural precinct.

The council's director Marc Salver, stressed the plan has not yet been considered by the council and no decisions have been made. Currently the concept plan has been released for comment by residents, landowners and businesses up to September 14th. The concept plan has been welcomed "in principle" by the Stirling Business Association. President Rachel Basford said there was a obvious need for multi-level carparking.

"We also believe the commercial zones need to be extended. The plan should give clearer guidelines and positive creative ideas which maintain the integrity, look and feel of the Stirling village character". she said. However, the Stirling District Residents Association is opposed to several proposals including the towns boundary extension and multi-level carparks. "Developments should be focused on better and not bigger" said president John Hill.

"The commercial area should be kept compact with focus on infill, retention of tree-lined streets and an absense of chain franchises and fast food outlets". Mr Hill said there was a need for more retirement residential accomodation, such as a combination of townhouses and smaller blocks.

The Adelaide Hills Council Mayor Bill Cooksley, also has some reservations of his own. "I am personally opposed to some of the proposals, such as a strip development along Mt Barker Road, and creation of a civic hub at the intersection of Mt Barker Road & Merrion Terrace.

[Dave_The_Planner]

I believe this site has been completed with retailers already trading.

[Ho Really]

That's right. Retailers trading.

Cheers

[crawf]

Yeah most of the retailers are now trading, with more to open soon, The local council will lease the 2000sqm of office space.

I pass this nearly every day, and I can tell you there is always a heap of cars. The homemaker centre is just a god send, because not so long ago if you wanted bulky goods, electronics you would have had to gone to Adelaide.

If anyone is interesting the retailers are
- Harvey Norman
- Spotlight
- Radio Rentals (superstore)
- Autobarn
- Forty Winks
- Sleep City
- Everyday Living
- Discount Carpet City
- Howards Storage World
- Ausvac

Ive probably forgotten one, also in last weeks local paper the council has released plans to redevelop Dutton Road and construct two roundabouts (one at the entrance to the u/c park n ride facility, just up the road).

Also on Mt Barker retail news, a new shopping centre will be built in the town centre (opposite Mt Barker Central S/C) and will include a discount department store (rumoured to be Big W), specialist stores, roof top carparking and a cafe or restaurant (hopefully KFC ). Plus there is a rumour going around that Harris Scarfe could be coming to town, though I'll believe it when I see it.

[Cruise]

Does mount barker still get classed as a regional area?

I would say its metropolitian area by now

[urban]

It's still a regional centre in a regional area. It becomes metropolitan if heaven forbid it is continuously connected to Adelaide by suburbs.

We need to change our thinking about places such as Nourlunga, Salisbury and Elizabeth from suburbs of Adelaide to regional centres in their own right.

[crawf]

Yes and No, cruise

[Cruise]

It's still a regional centre in a regional area. It becomes metropolitan if heaven forbid it is continuously connected to Adelaide by suburbs.

We need to change our thinking about places such as Nourlunga, Salisbury and Elizabeth from suburbs of Adelaide to regional centres in their own right.

I like that idea

[Shuz]

Well, my understanding of regional 'cities' is one that is detached (by urban sprawl) from a primary urban area - eg: Adelaide/Mount Barker. However, Elizabeth and Noarlunga cities are 'attached' to the Adelaide urban sprawl identifies them as part of the primary urban area. However, I think an exception should be applied in the case where a geographical landform (usually water body) should divide conurbations and be developed as seperate cities/townships - eg: in the case of Salisbury and Aldinga, which both have a river (Onkaparinga and Little Para) that acts as the divisive boundary of distinction for these areas to grow seperately.

[urban]

Separate urban growth boundaries should be created which separate greater metropolitan Adelaide into three distinct zones matching the 3 super councils proposed by Business SA. Green buffer zones should be retained/created between the districts (much easier south than north) just as the hills face zone protects the hills communities from the sprawl of Adelaide. This does not need to be immediately implemented but should be a long term aim of our strategic plan.

[mooshie]

NEW SHOPPING CENTRE
Another large-scale shopping centre planned for the heart of Mt
Barker is a step closer to approval.
The new $15m complex will cover much of the block between Druids
Avenue and Morphett Street, and Hutchinson and Stephen streets in the
town centre.
The Mt Barker Council's Development Assessment Panel agreed last week
to give strategy and development services manager Henry Inat
authority to grant development plan consent to the project, subject
to conditions.
The centre will feature a major discount department store of almost
4000sqm, with a tenant yet to be announced.
An unknown number of shops fronting Hutchinson and Morphett streets
would provide a further 2150sqm for smaller retail businesses.
Excerpt from The Courier

and:

Car parking options include pub buyout
A five-storey car park could be built by the Mt Barker Council in the
town centre at a cost of up to $6.5m.
The council wants to build the car park on land behind the Hotel
Barker to cater for a growing demand for parking in the heart of the
town.
It agreed at a meeting this week to launch a series of studies, set
to cost $56,000, in a bid to design the car park and determine its
financial feasibility.
The council's general manager of strategy and development services,
Henry Inat, said in a report to the council that the car park was
"clearly a project of district and regional significance".
The owner of the hotel, the Fassina Group, was committed to the
project, Mr Inat said.
Excerpt from The Courier

Now just need some higher density living in the town centre.

[crawf]

Hmm not sure about high density living in Mt Barker, though there are plans for a 850 homes estate along Hurling Drive and other housing estates.

There was a render of the new shopping centre in last weeks courier looks really good. Its going to be 2 levels and have shops and cafes along Hutchinson & Morphett St - so thats going to bring more street activity to the town centre, really happy about that to be honest , instead of the town just being full of enclosed shopping centres.

Its believed the department store will be Big W, the complex will feature roof-top carparking. Though I just wish they would hurry up and build the god dam thing, that huge vacant block is such a eyesore being right smack bang in the town centre.

Also other future developments for the booming town is retail shops along Adelaide Road at the current caryard and vacant block (the council want car-based businesses out of the CBD).

And much more...

[Pikey]

This is the bare block behind Woolworths, where Herriots used to be yeah? I used to live in Oakbank up until a couple of years ago, so was a frequent visitor to Barker, but since moving to the city, I've forgotten all of Barkers street names!

[rhino]

I used to live in Oakbank up until a couple of years ago

Well that one gob-smacked me! Are you serious?