Major $90m shopping centre expansion gets green light

Oran Park’s emergence as the contemporary heart of southwest Sydney continues to take shape, with a whopping $90 million shopping centre expansion getting the green light.

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Oran Park’s transformation into the contemporary heart of southwest Sydney is swiftly taking shape, with a major $92 million shopping centre expansion getting the green light.

The dynamic project, expected to take just over two years to complete, will more than double the size of the existing Oran Park Podium shopping centre, include 50-plus new shops, a ‘market-style’ food court and an outdoor dining precinct.

The skyline of the ‘baby’ suburb will also rise with a five-storey apartment block and four-storey office building to be constructed on top of the shopping centre.

An artist’s impression of the Oran Park Podium expansion (the apartment building is still being assessed).

Greenfields Development Company director Mark Perich said he was excited to deliver the “logical” next step for the suburb, which he hoped would create jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It has been a long time waiting for us, the community of Oran Park and the tenants of Oran Park Podium,” he said. “The project is all about creating a nucleus within the town centre, particularly with all the leisure activities now around such as the skate park and soon-to-be opened water splash park.

“As the population grows, so does the community’s needs and these shops will play an important role.”

The original proposal included a landmark 12-storey building, to be located near Perich Park and Oran Park Library, but it was withdrawn and re-lodged separately in a bid to fast-track the approval and construction process.

Greenfields general manager Mick Owens previously told the Chronicle the proposed development would deliver a vibrant, lively and active space for the growing community.

“It’s about having an experience where you can go shopping, meet people in the park, walk over to the library — we are bringing everything together,” he said.

Construction on the major project is expected to begin in coming months.