Site of former Tulip Town shopping centre in Kallangur being sold off

A HUGE block of land, in one of the fastest-growing regions of Queensland, is up for sale after years of sitting idle.

Denis Grant, son of Jimmy Grant who used to own the Tulip Town centre, on the site in Kallangur in 2007.

THE 5.3ha Kallangur site of the former Tulip Town shopping centre is up for sale by tender.

Moreton Bay Regional Council resumed the site at 1613 Anzac Avenue in 2008 from Westfield for an undisclosed sum, believed to be substantially less than the shopping-centre giant paid for it.

The resumption came with the caveat council would not allow commercial development on the site before July this year.

Westfield bought the site in the late 1990s from its developer Jimmy Grant who had opened Tulip Town in 1990. At the time of the sale, Mr Grant believed Westfield would turn the site into a regional shopping centre.

However Westfield soon after bought land elsewhere and turned it into Westfield North Lakes.

Mr Grant now opposes the sale by Moreton Bay Regional Council.

“The land was zoned for local government purposes and anything contrary to that makes a mockery of the word government,” Mr Grant said.

Moreton Bay Regional Council planning spokesman Mick Gillam said the land was now zoned general residential urban and could have buildings up to eight storeys.

Councillor Gillam said initial trading of the land had to be done by tender or expressions of interest.

“We have to go through the tender process first but we do not have to accept any tender if we think the price is too low.”

Tenders close 4pm, November 16. Phone Gregory Woods on 0409 305 224, Robert Dunne on 0418 888 840.