Blackburn North Shopping Centre redevelopment plans to go to VCAT, shops closing

At least eight businesses have closed their doors at a once popular neighbourhood shopping centre. With redevelopment plans in limbo, remaining traders are worried about the future.

A number of businesses have shut at the centre since IGA closed.

While plans for Blackburn North Shopping Centre’s redevelopment are stuck in limbo, businesses are closing at the 51-year-old centre.

And traders and customers are growing increasingly concerned about the livelihood of the remaining businesses and the immediate future of the centre.

A series of businesses have followed IGA — which closed on January 31 — in leaving the centre.

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The chicken shop and two dollar shop that traded opposite the supermarket have closed.

Chi Chinese Massage, Nuts & Sweets and three clothing stores have also left.

The centre’s former Nuts & Sweets shop has closed.

Traders remaining at the centre, who did not want to be named, told Whitehorse Leader they were worried customer numbers were dropping and even more shops were on the way out.

A business owner, who had been based at the centre for decades, said there was “definitely less traffic” passing through the centre since IGA closed.

He said both traders and customers had told him they were worried about the centre’s future.

“Just about everybody is concerned,” he said.

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“We’ve already had some customers say ‘we’re not shopping here anymore’.”

“It’s going to be even worse in a month’s time.”

Ginger Asian Food is planning to close later this month, while The Reject Shop is scheduled to leave on May 24.

Another trader said he was concerned about the viability of his own business, as well as the centre’s overall service to the community.

He said he was worried customers would start choosing alternative shopping centres, with several others located about 10 minutes drive away.

Stores have been vacating the centre to make way for its $40 million overhaul, which owner Australian Unity announced last year.

In August, Australian Unity Retail Property Fund manager Nikki Panagopoulos said construction was expected to begin early this year.

But that timeline has been put out, with the plans set to go before VCAT after Whitehorse Council refused to issue a permit for the work.

General manager city development Jeff Green said the council did not approve of the plans “for a number of reasons”, such as “an absence of detail around … traffic and carparking, impacts on infrastructure, compliance with the relevant planning controls and impacts to surrounding residential properties”.

Plans for North Blackburn Shopping Centre’s redevelopment are headed for VCAT. Picture: Janine Eastgate

Ms Panagopoulos said the plans, which included an expanded medical centre, new childcare centre and a new range of traders, were given to the council in February 2018.

She said a VCAT mediation session was scheduled for April 26.

Ms Panagopolous said in the meantime management was taking steps to prepare for the expansion, which involved internal reconfiguration of tenants.

“As is usual for shopping centres, there is always some degree of change as new tenants undertake fit out works for new premises and in some cases tenants decide to leave or retire.”