Knox Shopping Centre: Westfield Knox upgrade includes pool, paid parking

Customers and staff will have to pay to park at Westfield Knox, as more details emerge about the centre’s $355m expansion.

Customers and staff will have to pay to park at Westfield Knox from next year, as more details emerge about the centre’s $355m upgrade.

Westfield has announced a new swim school will be built at the Wantirna South centre, the existing food court will be relocated and a new parking management system introduced next year.

The centre said the majority of visitors would be able to continue to park for free, with free parking for the first three hours, and up to four hours for Westfield Plus members.

There will also be a reduced rate for retail partners and their employees, with more details to come on the fees.

According to Westfield Knox, the new parking management system will include licence plate recognition and guidance technology.

“The new system will help ease congestion and make it quicker and easier for customers to find a park,” it said.

At Westfield Doncaster, visitors pay $3 if they stay between 2 – 2.5 hours, $5 for 2.5 – 3 hours, and $45 if they stay for more than six hours.

Speculation over whether paid parking would be introduced at Westfield Knox has been swirling for months, with construction work revealing changes that would support a shift to paid parking.

Westfield Knox said the new swim school would be located near the northern entry of the centre, and would feature quality amenities and programs to service the local community.

The 25m pool will offer swimming sessions, run by Aquatic Achievers, for children up to 12 years old, with the pool to operate from 6am – 9pm every day.

The swim school will join a basketball court, library and multipurpose community space at the centre.

A 25m indoor pool is coming to Westfield Knox.

The existing “sad” food court on Level 2, riddled with empty shops including the old McDonald’s, will be upgraded and relocated in 2023.

A new food court has been designed with families and large groups in mind, with a range of seating options, large scale skylight and an abundance of greenery.

A new “mini-major” retail precinct, that will become home to a mix of new and existing retail brands, will take over the existing food court space.

The upgrade also includes a basketball court and library.

Westfield Knox centre manager Kristian Nicholls said the community had been the brains trust behind the planning for the upgrade of the centre.

Mr Nicholls said swim schools, basketball courts and multipurpose community facilities weren’t things you’d typically associate with a Westfield centre.

“The input we’ve received from our community to date has made us think differently about how we can better use and optimise existing space, so we can mean more things to more people,” he said.

“What we are delivering is a world-class retail, social and lifestyle destination that reflects the day-to-day lives and aspirations of the Knox customer.”