‘Big box’ retail centre set to bring new national chains to Cairns
A big box development proposal set to house national retail and fast food outlets has almost been fully let, but approval of the huge new retail centre planned for Smithfield is still pending.
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A big box development proposal set to house national retail and fast food outlets has almost been fully let, but approval of the huge new centre planned for Smithfield is still pending.
Trinity Park Investments and L’armonia have lodged a material change of use permit requesting approval to construct a mixed-use retail and commercial centre at a vacant strip of land between the Smithfield Bypass and the Captain Cook Highway.
The revived Smithfield Hub project will now have a gross floor area limitation, so under the CairnsPlan the development will not be defined as a shopping centre.
This condition was in response to a messy court battle between the two companies and council that came to a head in 2022 when the Brisbane Planning and Environment Court disallowed construction of the Smithfield Hub by the dismissing appeal of a 2020 council knock-back.
The fresh take on the major retail centre proposes 11 big box tenancies to cover 11,060 sqm of ground floor commercial space, 2,700 sqm of first floor commercial and medical suites, two drive through fast food outlets and 396 car park spaces.
Trinity Park Investments director Stephen Pellegrino said it had been a long road for the development which he now believed struck the right balance.
“We have been working on this for a number of years and I think we have it right and the outcome will be a big box development,” he said.
“It’s quite interesting the amount of interest we have had, the people of the northern beaches will be quite pleased with who is going to come to Cairns.”
Mr Pellegrino was not ready to announce which companies had registered interest in becoming tenants but he could reveal the proposed development had attracted the attention of large national retailers.
Approximately 80 per cent of the tenancies have been spoken for.
“We can’t sign anybody up until we get our permit but they are very keen,” he said.
“Hopefully we can get it through for the people of the northern beaches.”
According to an economic needs assessment authored by the Regional Economic Advisory and submitted alongside the development application, the project stacks up based on future population growth despite the centre’s proximity to the Smithfield Shopping Centre and a new Woolworths now under construction at Trinity Beach due for completion midway through this year.
“Critically, the proposal will create greater diversity of location and ownership of future supply, helping to ensure that Cairns captures the significant economic opportunities currently present in the region,” the assessment reads.
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Originally published as ‘Big box’ retail centre set to bring new national chains to Cairns
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