Bunnings Warehouse, Frenchs Forest: Demolition work to make way for first five-level store almost done

Demolition work to allow a massive $48 million five-storey Bunnings in a Sydney suburb is almost finished. Find out where and how the hardware giant will go high-rise.

Demolition workers have been busy bulldozing an Australia Post distribution centre and a two-storey office block to make way for a super-sized Sydney Bunnings.

Work to build the massive five-storey $48 million hardware store — with three levels of retail — is set to begin on the northern beaches.

The haven for do-it-yourself handypeople, tradies and professional builders, will be constructed at the intersection of Warringah and Allambie roads at Frenchs Forest.

Bunnings reckons it will generate up to 800 jobs.

Demolition work, pictured on Thursday, is almost complete to clear the site of the former Australia Post distribution centre and a neighbouring business complex at Frenchs Forest to make way for a $48 million, five-storey Bunnings hardware store. Picture: Ivy O'Rourke

This outlet will be first time Bunnings to offer three levels of retail that includes hardware and building supplies, an outdoor garden centre, a large cafe and a kids’ playground.

There will be two levels of parking for close to 400 vehicles.

The Bunnings development application was approved by the NSW Government’s Sydney North Planning Panel in February, 2021. It would have been settled in 2020, but for a disagreement between the hardware giant and Northern Beaches Council about safe vehicle access to the site from Allambie Rd.

Demolition diggers, seen here on Thursday, have almost cleared the Frenchs Forest site. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Demolition work, pictured last weekend, is almost complete to clear the site of the former Australia Post distribution centre and a neighbouring business complex. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Demolition work is almost complete to clear the site. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

There were concerns that due to the building’s proximity to the busy intersection, there were “potential road safety issues with merging vehicles and conflicts with pedestrians”.

An agreement has been reached to move the main driveway to Rodborough Rd, once traffic lights are installed at its intersection with Allambie Rd.

An artist’s impression of the Bunnings Warehouse to be built at the corner of Warringah and Allambie roads, Frenchs Forest. Picture: Supplied

The project is still generating some community concerns about traffic in the area, especially with the new The Forest High School set to be built about 400m away on Allambie Rd.

There was also another conflict over the size of the Bunnings Warehouse logos and signs, as well as the building’s predominantly green colour scheme.

Bunnings agreed to reduce the size of the logo by 33 per cent on Rodborough Rd, remove a number of hammer logos from the rest of the building and restrict the amount of green paint it used on the facades.

An Australia Post distribution centre has been established on Rodborough Rd, Frenchs Forest, next door to the site where demolition work is almost complete to clear the site of a $48 million, five-storey Bunnings hardware store. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

The opening hours will be finalised closer to opening. A timeline for when the construction will start and finish is not yet available.

But Bunnings has said the development is expected to generate 700 new jobs during the construction phase and then 135 full time and part time vacancies once it starts serving customers.

It already has northern beaches outlets at Warringah Mall (Brookvale) as well as Balgowlah, Belrose and Narrabeen.

Australia Post moved its mail and parcel centre to a neighbouring premises to the construction site, on Rodborough Rd, in March.