Toowoomba’s Greenwattle Street in Glenvale, Harristown explodes with $200m in developments
These massive projects exceeding $200m are transforming a 1700m stretch of road in one of Toowoomba’s fastest-growing suburbs. Read to find out what they are and when they’ll all be finished:
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Greenwattle Street in Glenvale looks unrecognisable today compared to what it did just three years ago.
The 1.7km stretch between Glenvale Road and Alderley Street has become the epicentre of the suburb’s commercial development, with more than $200m in projects either completed, in construction or approved along or near the street since 2019.
It comes as Glenvale is experiencing an incredible population boom, with census data revealing western Toowoomba has gained another 2800 residents since 2016.
The Toowoomba council is predicting the area will welcome another 8500 people by 2031.
Aged and retirement living and healthcare are now the dominant industries along Greenwattle Street.
Here are all the major Greenwattle Street projects either completed or in the pipeline since 2019:
1. OZCARE AGED CARE FACILITY — COMPLETED
National aged care providers Ozcare lodged plans for its 150-bed facility on Greenwattle Street back in 2017, before construction began the following year.
The massive facility, which cost $40m to build and employs more than 100 people, has boosted accommodation for people requiring assisted living since it was completed in 2020.
It includes extensive grounds, a public coffee shop and intimate lounges and dining areas for family and residents.
Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise CEO Ali Davenport told The Chronicle at the time the new facilities added significant economic value to city’s health sector.
2. COLES GLENVALE — COMPLETED
A major boost to Glenvale in 2020 was the completion and opening of the Coles supermarket precinct on the corner of Glenvale and Greenwattle Streets.
The centre, which had been in the works for nearly half a decade, included the supermarket along with a liquor store, cafe and car parks.
Nationally-based lead contractor Lanskey Constructions started work on the new supermarket in June 2019, with more than 200 jobs supporting during construction.
The opening came at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, complicating matters for Coles.
Coles has not disclosed the total cost of the build, but the company said it had invested $40m into its supermarkets during the eights leading up to 2020.
3. SEACHANGE TOOWOOMBA — UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Easily one of the largest projects under construction in eastern Toowoomba, Pradella Property Ventures first started work back in 2019 on Seachange at a massive 7.8-hectare site fronting onto Hampton Street in Harristown, backing onto Greenwattle Street as well.
Dubbed the “Hamptons in Harristown” due to the designs of the country club and summer house, the $71m over-50s retirement project includes spaces for 162 homes and an array of communal amenities like an indoor pool, bowling green and cinema.
Dozens of residents have taken up a lot in the resort since the key facilities were completed in 2020.
4. LIVING GEMS — NEARLY COMPLETE
The construction of massive over-50s retirement resort Living Gems is nearly finished, with the company revealing it has just 20 homes left to sell in its 210-dwelling estate.
Living Gems started work on its massive back in 2016, with the country club completed two years later.
Major facilities at the resort include a ballroom, cinema, heated swimming pool, spa, sauna, barbecue pavilion, gym, bowling green, tennis court, games room, hair salon, library, music room, workshop plus an art and craft studio.
The project was first proposed to council in 2013 as a 153-dwelling resort, with expansions subsequently being approved in later years.
The final stage of 20 homes, which borders Greenwattle Street, is on sale now.
5. AMPOL SERVICE STATION — BEING EXPANDED
Located on a key intersection between two growing communities, the new Ampol on the corner of Greenwattle and Alderley Streets in Harristown services both Glenvale and Westbrook.
The first stage was completed in May last year by developer and real estate agent Edward Hodge, at a cost of $8m.
Since then, plans have been approved by council to expand the site with eateries.
Mr Hodge said it was the start of a major mixed-use development next door, which will be called Brookvale Village.
“This is what you’d call Stage 1B of Brookvale Village — we’ll go and do the broader project later in the year,” he said earlier this year.
“Discussions with prospective tenants have been really good, we needed the Ampol to trade before we could move ahead.
“Ampol sales have been going really well, there’s been a strong take-up, particularly from the industrial and commercial users in Harristown and the retail stores.”
6. GP CLINIC, CHEMIST AND CHILDCARE CENTRE — UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Prominent local developers Barry and Mitchell Bernoth were approved by council in 2019 and 2022 for a new GP clinic, pharmacy and childcare centre on Greenwattle Street.
Construction has since been started by Hutchinson Builders, in a move that will support demand for medical and childcare services in Glenvale.
“It’s one of those areas that’s seen some growth, they had the Coles supermarket go in as well as the Ozcare, along with residential housing developments,” Hutchie’s team leader Sean Lees said in July.
“In keeping with the demand for services, childcare and medical are important, so the community will benefit from this.”
The Bernoths faced a legal challenge from a neighbouring property owner over the approval of the medical centre, but the appeal was dropped in June.
7. HEALTH AND WELL-BEING PRECINCT — APPROVED
Developers Rob and Cathy Weymouth hope to soon start work on a massive three-stage health and wellbeing precinct, slated for an L-shaped block of land bordering both South and Greenwattle Streets in Glenvale.
The project, which wraps around the existing bowling alley on the corner, includes a medical centre with GP, dentist, pharmacy, x-ray and pathology professionals in its first stage and allied health services like physiotherapy in the second phase.
But Mr Weymouth said the plan also included specialist disability accommodation units for 31 residents on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a move that would meet a significant shortfall.
“Council had some input into in the final design and I’m really happy with the outcome,” he said last week.
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Originally published as Toowoomba’s Greenwattle Street in Glenvale, Harristown explodes with $200m in developments
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