Aldi lodges plans for new supermarket near Findon Shopping Centre
This derelict Grange Rd commercial property has been filled with squatters and vandals – but Aldi has lodged plans to knock it all over and build a supermarket at Findon.
West & Beaches
Don't miss out on the headlines from West & Beaches. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Plans for a new Aldi supermarket on a derelict parcel of Findon land have been lodged with the State Government.
Designs for the German supermarket giant’s latest $5.45 million store were released on Thursday ahead of consideration by the State Commission Assessment Panel.
The new shop would be built a few hundred metres from the existing Findon Shopping Centre – which has previously objected to the project going ahead.
The property, at 263-271 Grange Rd, is currently an abandoned commercial site that was previously warehouses and retail shopfronts – all set to be razed.
It has most recently been rife with vandalism and squatting.
A report prepared by planning firm Ekistics on behalf of Aldi said the area’s development plan specifically sought a “small scale supermarket” and the development would “enhance the overall appearance and function” of the site.
“The proposed landscaping will significantly improve the aesthetics … and provide an attractive environment around the site,” the report read.
“The existing buildings are of an outdated style, poorly maintained with little or no contribution to (the) streetscape.”
Since opening its first store in South Australia in 2016, Aldi has grown to 31 supermarkets.
The block had to be rezoned from mixed use, which allows small-scale businesses, to “neighbourhood centre” in order to allow a supermarket.
Charles Sturt Council supported the rezoning in June, however, a number of councillors and the owners of Findon Shopping Centre opposed it on the basis of competition and traffic concerns.