Officeworks, drive-through outlets planned for Toowoomba site in place of old Snap Fitness
Developers are splashing $30m to bring a national brand to a highly-trafficked Toowoomba intersection, but the plan raises questions about the future of a city sporting club.
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UPDATE: A Toowoomba sporting club’s future is unclear after it was revealed its headquarters will make way for a $30m commercial precinct.
A group of developers have lodged plans for a new mixed-use project on the corner of James and West Streets in Harristown, with Officeworks to be the anchor tenant.
The proposed development also includes two new drive-through eateries along James Street, on land currently occupied by the Toowoomba Squash Club.
The buildings will be demolished as part of the project.
Developer Rob Weymouth said the club had been kept informed of the project and had a secure lease until the middle of next year.
“They’ve still got a lease in place until next year,” he said.
“We’ve had discussions and they’re looking at other options, they are fully aware of this.
“They really need some new courts, and they’re assessing all their options.
“We’re working with the club until they can find alternative accommodation.”
Club committee member Mark Wynhoven said the push for a new home was always on the cards, but the advent of Officeworks had sped up the timeline.
“There were a few pitches made to revamp the centre, we’ve been talking to All Whites, St Mary’s, USQ, and they were proposals that we still had to come up with our own funding,” he said.
“Funding for squash is a tough gig but we’ve looked at opportunities within the commercial sector, we’ve got a couple of good ones and one is actually in Withcott.
“It’s only in its infancy, there are some talks back and forth for people who want to participate.”
Mr Wynhoven said it was likely squash would need to join forces with other sports to sustain itself into the future.
“The biggest we’ve got is a motivated and reasonably-sized club of squash players who want to make sure we’ve got a secure future,” he said.
“Squash can’t support itself anymore, we’re charging the same to hire courts today that we were in 1985.
“Hockey has done it better than anybody in this town, and they could do it because they had all five clubs working out of the same facility.
“Lawn bowls is another great example — it’s a model that should be repeated.”
EARLIER: A $30 million commercial precinct will fill the space left by one of Toowoomba’s most notorious eyesores, with a national brand earmarked as the anchor tenant.
Local developers Rob and Cathy Weymouth and Gold Coast-based ex-residents Daniel and Kate Cooper have lodged plans with the Toowoomba Regional Council for a mixed-use project on the corner of James and West Streets in Harristown.
The site used to be the home of Snap Fitness before it was gutted by two fires in December 2015 and demolished last year.
Officeworks has been confirmed as the main tenant, with the Australian chain to shift its Toowoomba location to the new site from Hume Street in the CBD.
It is understood that the new Officeworks will be the equal-largest in Australia, with an expected gross floor area 3400 sqm or double the current location’s size.
Along with more than 130 new car parks, the developers have included two new drive-through food and drink outlets fronting James Street.
Mr Weymouth said he was excited by what the project could deliver in economic benefits.
“We’re really excited about the site, and we’re happy to have put a lot of work into the design of it,” he said.
“The big thing is it’s revamping a corner that’s been neglected for some time.
“The major tenant will be Officeworks, they’re shifting because they need space.
“It’s a great opportunity for Toowoomba, that corner is a prime site in town, and it’s going to create investment and jobs.”
Along with reports relating to noise, traffic, engineering, lighting and waste management, the applicants also lodged an economic assessment looking at its potential impacts on surrounding businesses.
The report by Econisis revealed the mixed-use precinct would generate $26m in additional output per year and create work for more than 100 full-time equivalent jobs.
“Despite this, there remains significant regional and local gaps in both several showroom retail categories linked to Officeworks, as well as in takeaway food offerings,” the report said.
“These gaps mean that the relocation and expansion of Officeworks to the subject site will have limited impacts on the sustainability of other showroom retailers in the region, while also provide an increase in choice in takeaway food options that are currently limited.
“The development will also generate positive economic and employment impacts for the Toowoomba economy during both construction and operational phases.”
The council has yet to respond to the developers’ application.
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