Aldi Boronia: supermarket to be built below five-storey building

Ever wanted to live above an Aldi store? Now’s your chance, with a five-storey apartment block incorporating a ground-floor supermarket approved for a busy eastern suburbs strip.

An artist’s impression of a proposed new development in Boronia, including an Aldi supermarket.

Ever wanted to live above an Aldi store? Now’s your chance, with a five-storey building approved for the heart of Boronia.

Knox councillors ticked off on a permit for the development last night, including 50 apartments, a basement carpark and two shops, including the popular discount supermarket, at 1-13 Erica Ave.

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Cr Peter Lockwood said it was the perfect location for apartments and the development will give Boronia “the shot in the arm” it needed.

“It is exactly what Boronia needs right now,” Cr Lockwood said.

“Aldi will be a great addition to Boronia.

“It will liven up Erica Ave.”

These retail shops will be removed from the site for the construction of a new supermarket and retail premises at 1-13 Erica Ave. The Aussie Veterans Op Shop has already relocated to Boronia Mall. Picture: Steve Tanner

Cr John Mortimore said Boronia needed an injection of people who weren’t reliant on cars, and those living in the apartments could walk to shops nearby.

“We need people living in the heart of Boronia,” Cr Mortimore said.

Cr Lockwood successfully moved an alternate motion that the development be approved, going against council officers’ recommendation it be rejected because it did not provide “a design of outstanding architecture” for a building exceeding the suggested height limit for the site.

The development exceeds the discretionary four-storey height limit for the area, but according to the council report the applicant determined that the building would be unlikely to affect key view lines, and will be nestled below the ridge line of the Dandenong foothills when viewed from the west.

Cr Lockwood said the development will be located at the lowest part of Boronia.

It includes 50 apartments made up of two three-bedroom apartments,

46 two-bedroom apartments, and two one-bedroom apartments.

In a statement to Knox Leader in December, Aldi said it was hopeful of opening the Boronia store next year.

Aldi already has stores in Scoresby, Rowville, Ferntree Gully and Bayswater.

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