Farmer Joe’s resurrection in doubt at Gympie Rd bowling centre site

WITH ample parking and access off one of Brisbane’s busiest roads, this should be a prime retail opportunity. But plans to redevelop this well-known spot on the city’s northside has hit a snag.

An artist's rendering of the Kedron Markets. Picture: Supplied

PLANS to transform a long-empty Brisbane bowling centre into an up-market fresh food hub are in jeopardy because developers are unable to find a tenant able to replicate a fruit and vegie shop that used to draw customers from across the northside.

Approval has been given to transform the former AMF Bowling Centre on Gympie Rd, Kedron, into a boutique retail complex and the owners firmly want ‘Farmer Joe’s’ to be resurrected.

The site is next to where the fruit and vegetable store, one of Brisbane’s best known and revered family businesses, stood for decades before it closed in 2009 to make way for the inner-northern busway.

However, the ambitious project remains in limbo until an anchor tenant has been secured, said Carbone Developments spokesman John O’Neil.

The Kedron Markets get its inspiration from Farmer Joe's, a well-known local business that was forced to close when the inner-northern busway was built. Picture: Supplied

“We bought the site with the intent of replacing Farmer Joe’s but with a bigger and better concept,” Mr O’Neil said.

“Ideally we would want a gourmet butcher, bakery, fresh and cooked seafood and a bottle shop.

“It would be tight but we would do our best to have them running for Christmas trade.”

What may be holding businesses back from committing to the project is that the complex sits just 400m from a stand-alone Coles supermarket.

The supermarket opened last September and played a hand in the demise of a Spar Express which sat on the opposite side of the road until it closed in May.

The owner of the Spar Express blamed Coles but Mr O’Neill was confident his complex would prosper in the face of such stiff opposition.

He said he was inspired by the success of the nearby The Farm House cafe, which opened on the site of the former Farmer Joe’s 15 months ago and the feedback from locals who constantly ask when ‘Farmer Joe’s” will open.

“The Farm House has exceeded all expectations and that gives us confidence that Farmer Joe’s is what the area wants,” he said.

“I don’t think anything for sale within this facility will be available at Coles. It will be a cut above.”

Raine & Horne commercial real estate agent Trent Bruce said he had fielded a dozen inquiries about the site but had yet to find a suitable tenant.

David Vedelago (with arms extended), part owner of Farmer Joe's with some of his 80 staff who lost their jobs in 2009 when the Department of Main Roads resumed the building for the inner-northern busway.

If a tenant cannot be found developers had various options because the site had more than 70 car parks, he said.

“It’s all stripped ready to go … and the number of car parks is unparalleled for the size of the building on this side of town,” he said.

“If we can’t find an anchor tenant it could be adapted to offices, a medical facility or even a boutique cinema.”

The complex plan includes sectioning off a third of the former bowling alley building from the remaining structure to create a laneway east-west from Gympie Rd to Nieppe St, with a skillion roof.

The laneway would allow for natural light, ventilation and open air dining and shopping.

Farmer Joe’s would be positioned within the main trunk of the building.