Woolworths is preparing to start construction on a new shopping centre in Dakabin

About 200 retail jobs will be created from a new shopping centre in a growing suburb north of Brisbane, though not everyone wanted to see it built.

Artist’s impression of the new Woolworths shopping centre development at Dakabin.

ABOUT 200 retail jobs will be created in a growing suburb north of Brisbane as work is set to begin on a new shopping centre development.

The complex, at the corner of Alma and Old Gympie roads in Dakabin, will include a Woolworths supermarket, medical centre, petrol station and some retail outlets.

There will be parking space for about 260 vehicles.

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Fabcot Pty Ltd, part of the Woolworths Group, acquired the site outright in December 2015 for about $6.2 million from a company called Alma Properties.

Earlier that year, Fabcot gained approval in the Planning and Environment Court to go ahead with the new shopping centre after the council’s initial approval was unsuccessfully challenged.

Artists impression of the new Woolworths shopping centre development at Dakabin.

The site has since been sitting vacant until this week contractors fenced it off in preparation for construction to begin next month.

Woolworths regional property manager Savanah Powell said the company had been working with the council and community to deliver the long-awaited development.

“The new retail precinct will feature a full line supermarket as well as 15 specialty stores and services when it is opens mid-next year,” she said.

“Commencement of construction is beginning shortly and we look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.”

Artists impression of the new Woolworths shopping centre development at Dakabin.

The development will bring significant employment opportunities to the area with 150 direct and indirect jobs for local builders and suppliers during the 12-month build, and about 200 retail jobs on completion.

The new supermarket will directly compete with the Coles supermarket at Lillybrook Shopping Centre and the SPAR store, both less than 2km away.

It will also mean two service stations within 500m of each other, with the nearby 7-Eleven on Old Gympie Rd.

A third service station had been proposed as part of a separate development 400m north of the Woolworths site, though this was recently withdrawn.

Artists impression of the new Woolworths shopping centre development at Dakabin.

Commercial Real Estate company CBRE advertised for tenants for the retail component of the Dakabin shopping centre, stating the location “will fast become the centre of choice for the Main Trade Area.”

CBRE stated there are opportunities for a gym, cafe and casual dining, fresh food, service, allied health and beauty operators.

When Fabcot’s application was approved by the council in 2014, a group of 17 businesses and trusts banded together to challenge the approval in the Land and Environment Court.

Artist’s impression of the new Woolworths shopping centre development at Dakabin.

The group appealed the council’s decision to approve the development on the grounds it conflicted with the local planning scheme at that time, created traffic and noise issues, and “unacceptably diminished the function of established and other planned centres” in the area.

The court ultimately decided in Fabcot’s favour on May 15, 2015, granting it conditional approval.

One condition related to the hours of operation, restricting it to 6am-11pm, except for the service station which could operate 24-hours a day.

The company also has to build a roundabout at the centre’s access point on Shepherdson St and monitor traffic at the Gympie Rd access point for five years.