$80m revamp plans for Castle Plaza Edwardstown to be scaled back
A MULTI-million dollar plan to revamp a suburban shopping centre was first mooted more than half a decade ago. It finally looks set to happen — just on a much smaller scale. Here’s the updated proposal.
A PLANNED $80 million revamp of Castle Plaza has been scaled down because demand for shopping space has fallen away, the centre’s owner says.
Vicinity Centres has said the revamp will be downgraded to now include two new supermarkets — potentially a Woolworths and Aldi — and “a couple of hundred extra square metres” of specialty space.
Under the previous plans, the shops’ footprint would have doubled and included another discount department store, such as a Kmart, and extra small shops.
Part of Raglan Ave near South Rd would have been turned into a mall. That proposal has been scrapped.
Vicinity Centres development manager Don Smith said Adelaide’s economic climate had changed significantly since the business bought the Hills Industries site in 2007.
“When we bought it, it was pre-GFC,” Mr Smith said.
“We find ourselves now 10 years down the track and the retail environment has changed.
“We’ve still got demand from supermarkets — we’ve got interest from Aldi and from Woolworths to go there.
“We’ve had preliminary discussions with them, but we need to put the right design on the ground for them.”
The centre wants to spruce up Raglan Ave by planting more trees and slowing traffic, potentially by using paving similar to King William Rd’s.
Mr Smith expected the upgraded strip would feature takeaway shops and cafes.
The centre also wanted to sell about 2ha of land north of Ackland St. Under a rezoning proposal before the State Government, apartments, offices and shops could be built on the land between Ackland St and the railway line.
No ground floor housing would be allowed on the site, which has been contaminated by previous industrial uses.
“We’ve now cleaned everything up — we dug it all up and dumped it,” Mr Smith said.
He said the centre had discussed with the government the potential to close Woodlands and Edwardstown stations, and build a new one on Raglan Ave to service the centre and new homes.
“There’s broad agreement that that’s a logical spot. But it gets down to capital and who’s going to pay for it.”
Mr Smith hoped work on the centre upgrade would start in 2019.
He said it was “too early to speculate” on the revised cost of the expansion, which would be about half as big as the previous plan.
The business presented new concept plans to Marion Council’s planning committee last week.
Mayor Kris Hanna said committee members would prefer to see the traffic signals removed from the corner of South Rd and Raglan Ave, and traffic diverted to Ackland St.
This would create a plaza on Raglan Ave and address the issue of speeding on the road, he said.
Executive Flowers manager Desiree De Brenni supported the centre’s expansion plans.
“I believe any expansion is always good,” she said. “The good thing about our centre is everybody can come here and grab what they need and go.
“Having a few more traders in here will be great.”
Getta Bargain sales assistant Mel Maiolo also welcomed the upgrade news.
“It would be nice — it will bring more customers,” she said.
The Planning Department did not respond before presstime.
What do you think Castle Plaza needs as part of the revamp? Leave your comment below.