Shopping centre in Adelaide’s west buys up houses in bid to expand

THE owners of a shopping centre in Adelaide’s south west have been buying up nearby houses to make way for a planned $10 million expansion — in a bid to stop rival supermarkets entering the area.

Supplied Editorial Brighton Central shopping centre in Adelaide.

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THE owner of Brighton Central shopping centre wants to spend $10 million to expand the complex to fend off competition from rival supermarkets.

The Foodland supermarket at the site would double in size and parking would increase from 100 to 150 spaces.

MRS Property Managers director Andrew McIntyre revealed the company’s plans for the Brighton Rd centre at a Holdfast Bay Council meeting last week.

His company has bought three houses to the west of the centre, which it would demolish to make way for parking.

“It (the shopping centre) needs to expand to be able to continue to compete with large competitors and we all know who they are,” Mr McIntyre said.

“They want to get in the area or expand if they’re already in the area.”

MRS has bought the ANZ bank site to the north of the shopping centre.

It also wants to buy a 150sq m section of Rutland Ave from the council and incorporate it into the centre.

Rutland Ave is a no-through road which ends at the shopping centre’s western boundary.

The company plans to fill the carpark at the front of the centre on Brighton Rd with the expanded Foodland and move shops at the northern end of the supermarket further north.

A new Hungry Jack's is now being built on Brighton Rd, next to Brighton Central.

Existing specialty shops to the west of the supermarket would remain where they are and the whole complex would be enclosed under one roof.

Foodland would employ an extra 60 staff, Mr McIntyre said.

He said work would start by the end of the year and finish by the end of 2017, subject to planning approval.

“We are certainly of the view that if we stand still we are going backwards,” Mr McIntyre said.

“This change is necessary to allow these shops to grow and compete.”

There are 14 shops in the complex, as well as Foodland, but this would likely reduce by one under the plan, Mr McIntyre said.

Kaz Hair owner Angela Zacharia said it would be good to be part of an undercover mall.

“I think it’s going to be really progressive and bring more people to the centre and increase our profile as well,” Ms Zacharia said.

Brighton City Meats butcher Kris Richardson said MRS had not guaranteed his business a spot in the new centre and, if it did, it would not be as large as his current shop.

“We’re for it, if we can go back into it,” Mr Richardson said.

Rutland Ave resident Greg Smith, who chairs a group called Residents for Change that was against a nearby Hungry Jack’s restaurant, said locals wanted pedestrian access blocked between their street and the shopping centre.

He also called for a soundproof wall between the shopping centre and homes on his street.

“We would like to see a clear and unequivocal delineation between what is a residential zone and a commercial zone,” Mr Smith said.

Holdfast Bay Council will vote on whether to sell the piece of Rutland Ave at a meeting next Tuesday.

Westfield Marion is expanding to include more fresh food shops and is adding an Aldi supermarket.

Glenelg’s Bayside Village opened in 2009 and the Park Holme Shopping Centre is being refurbished, adding a new Liquorland store.