$18m shop revamp starts — but too late for some: Modbury Triangle overhaul set to boost business
TRADERS have welcomed a long-awaited $18 million redevelopment of a shopping centre in Adelaide’s north east — but the overhaul comes too late for some.
North & North East
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TRADERS have welcomed a long-awaited $18 million redevelopment of Modbury Triangle shopping centre, saying the overhaul will boost business and help them compete with nearby Tea Tree Plaza.
Builders have begun demolition work in the carpark, off North East Rd, which comes about three years after centre owners lodged plans for the upgrade with Tea Tree Gully Council and eight years after the redevelopment was first proposed.
Here’s what the upgrade will include:
A NEW, modern facade
ROMEO’S Foodland supermarket will be expanded by an extra 2125 sq m under the overhaul.
EXTRA carparking will also form part of the redevelopment.
Truct-Quan Nguyen, who manages Vietnamese Kitchen in the centre, said the redevelopment was good news for traders and would make the centre more attractive to customers.
“It’s very much needed,” she said.
“(The centre) was hidden from the street and it was aged and no one wanted to come in.”
Ms Nguyen said businesses had struggled for many years to entice customers because the centre was outdated.
“Hopefully it will boost business,” she said.
“It’s just a bit unfortunate that a lot of businesses have left before the redevelopment started happening.”
Tropical Triangle Fruit and Veg manager Kalbe Patel said the redevelopment was a “good thing” for shop owners.
“It will be easy to park and they can come in and get everything they want,” he said.
“It’s good for the future.”
Margaret Harris, who owned Kelly’s Farm Pet and Aquarium at the centre which closed in February, said if the redevelopment had occurred sooner the business may have continued.
Ms Harris said shop owners in the centre had waited eight years for an overhaul but uncertainty around the project resulted in the decision to close the shop last month and retire.
“It would be more attractive for tenants and customers,” Mrs Harris said.
“Refreshing a shopping centre, as cosmetic as it may be, will make it a nicer place to shop.
“It has been like a ghost town and very hard for people to attract new customers.”
Tea Tree Gully Mayor Kevin Knight was pleased Modbury Triangle was getting a makeover.
“It’s good to see them finally getting around to it,” he said.
“It’s a great little shopping centre and it’s good to see the owners investing in our community.”
Mr Knight said the redevelopment followed several in the district in recent years including revamps of Tea Tree Plaza, which is still underway, and St Agnes Shopping Centre to include new Aldi supermarkets.
He said the opening of the $12 million The Stables centre in Greenwith last year was a boost, as was the multi-million upgrade of Gilles Plains Shopping Centre.
Calls to centre owners were not returned by the Leader Messenger’s deadline.
However, the owners placed an advertisement in the newspaper, showing an artist’s impression of the new building, with a new, modern facade.
The advertisement also suggested the owners wished to pay tribute to the centre’s past.
“Over the next few months, while the centre undertakes a redevelopment, we look forward to sharing all of the recollections and memories of the Modbury residents and those who have been a part of the shopping centre over the past 30 years,” the advertisement read.
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