Kedron Bowling Centre to be transformed into fresh food market

A LONG-standing Brisbane bowling alley will be transformed into a specialty shopping centre, with plans to also resurrect - at least in spirit - another blast from the past.

The Kedron Bowl will be transformed into a specialty shopping centre, providing fresh produce for locals.

A LONG-standing northside bowling alley will be transformed into a specialty shopping centre, with plans to also resurrect - at least in spirit - another iconic local shop.

Carbone Developments has lodged plans with the Brisbane City Council to transform the Kedron Bowling Centre into a “Farmer Joe’s’ inspired fresh food centre which would include about half a dozen specialty stores.

The former AMF Bowling Centre, on Gympie Rd, was right next door to the former Farmer Joe’s store which has been converted into the head office of Carbone Developments.

Farmer Joe’s was a revered independent northside businesses that sold fruit and vegetables, gourmet cheeses and meats until it closed in 2009 to make way for the inner-northern busway.

David Vedelago (with arms extended) was part-owner of Farmer Joe's on Gympie Road, Kedron, which was forced to shut down when The Department of Main Roads resumed the building to make way for the inner-northern busway.

Carbone Developments spokesman John O’Neil said the former owners of grocery store were not involved in the project.

However, the strategy was to have an anchor tenant, most likely a fresh fruit and vegetable store with a delicatessen, which would compliment other independent specialty shops.

“We want a gourmet butcher, boutique bakery, perhaps fresh seafood, pasta and even a bottleshop which may specialise in craft beer or boutique wines,” Mr O’Neil said.

“We want everything to be specialist shops with unique lines.

“It’s a bigger site and a bigger offering than Farmer Joe’s and, and as much as we have respect for the Farmer Joe’s operation, I’d like to think what we are doing is even better.”

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

Some may consider Carbone Developments’ project an extremely bold move given, just 400m north along Gympie Rd, a Coles supermarket - with a bottle shop, café and service station - will open before Christmas.

Mr O’Neill said they are not foolish enough to take on Coles and the food market would offer everything the supermarket giant doesn’t.

“We don’t want to compete against them. You can’t compete against them,” he said.

“We will be offering high-level service and a line of specialty stores they didn’t provide in their development.”

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

According to the plans lodged with the BCC, the bowling centre structure will predominantly remain and its transformation into a specialty food outlet will “bring back a desirable community facility that was forcibly extinguished as a consequence of state infrastructure”.

The application includes sectioning off a third of the building from the remaining structure to create a laneway that runs east-west, from Gympie Rd to Nieppe St, with a skillion roof.

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

“We want this to be a community hub,” Mr O’Neil said.

If the development application sails through, ‘Farmer Joe’s” could be resurrected by mid-late 2018.