Retail revival at Junction as Coorparoo Square opens

COORPAROO Square opened this morning with the official­ ribbon cutting of the shopping centre at the heart of the $252 million development­.

Crowds fill Coorparoo Square after the grand opening this morning, November 22. Pictures: Brian Bennion

COORPAROO Square opened this morning with the official­ ribbon cutting of the shopping centre at the heart of the $252 million development­.

Although the opening, attended by both Member for Greenslopes Joe Kelly and LNP candidate Ian Kaye, was the perfect feel-good lead-in to the state election on Saturday, construction was still underway on much of the retail centre.

Works were in full swing in front of the main entrance and shops fronting Old Cleveland Rd were still barricaded off.

That didn’t stop shoppers turning out en masse, lining up at Aldi at 7am for the doors to open to catch the store’s opening specials.

Dendy Cinemas was scheduled to open tomorrow, but has postponed the opening to November 30 as workers complete the finishing touches.

The “Cinema” sign went up at the front entrance last week. When completed the Coorparoo Dendy will be the group’s biggest cinema in Brisbane with 10 screens, double the size of the Portside Wharf cinemas at Hamilton.

Dendy Cinemas has signed a 15-year lease, which incorporates eight standard screens, two premium lounge screens with reclining leather seating and a pre-screening dining and bar lounge.

Dendy Cinemas national operations manager Kathryn Craig, Aldi’s property director Marco Deininger and operations director Matthew Bruggy and Frasers Property general manager retail assets Felicity Armstrong cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Coorparoo Square.

Developer Frasers Property general manger retail assets Felicity Armstrong said it was important to get Aldi and other retailers trading and deliver the amenity to the area.

“It always comes down to the wire with these projects and we just made it in time to launch today,” Ms Armstrong said.

“The queue out the front of Aldi before they opened is testament to the success. The community has been waiting for this for a long time. They have been watching in anticipation as the towers go up. To have this amazing food and beverage offering that is unique to Coorparoo, the Aldi and the Dendy Cinema online in the coming days, it is really going to cement this place as the true community hub of the neighbourhood.”

Stage three, due to open in January, will see the Commonwealth Bank relocate to Coorparoo Square and services such as a hairdresser and nail bar.

Mr Kelly said the suburb was already seeing the positive effects the Coorparoo Square development was having on Coorparoo Junction.

“We are seeing shops refurbished, we are seeing shops open and we are seeing people come out here in the first of many visits. It is a wonderful centrepiece for our community,” Mr Kelly said.

Councillor Ian McKenzie (Coorparoo) recognised the work of Ian Kaye on development approvals for the site as the former member for Greenslopes and said it was “a long time coming”.

“Up to 10 years ago when the city council implemented the Eastern Suburbs Neighbourhood Plan incorporating this area as a development area for highrise and residential and retail, we had no idea that such a wonderful development would ever take place here.”

About 700 people will soon be living in Coorparoo Square’s three residential towers, featuring 366 apartments.

None of the candidates standing for election in Greenslopes or Chatsworth have made any commitment to the long overdue Eastern Busway.

The former Bligh state government acquired the old Myer site to build a busway­ station.

Labor candidates have promised a $22 million Eastern­ Transitway as an interim measure.