Westfield Knox tight-lipped on $450 million expansion plans

WESTFIELD is remaining tight-lipped on its redevelopment of Knox Shopping Centre, almost two years since it announced plans for a $450m expansion.

An artist's impression of what a redeveloped Westfield Knox will look like — when work finally starts.

ALMOST two years after the $450 million upgrade for Westfield Knox was approved there is still no word on when the redevelopment will begin.

With Eastland’s transformation complete, the first stage of the $660 million revamp of Chadstone Shopping Centre opening on October 13 and a massive expansion plan unveiled for Highpoint Shopping Centre last week, there is still no update on the Knox upgrade.

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The library inside the shopping centre is set to close to make way for the centre’s redevelopment, with Knox Council to spend $800,000 on a new temporary library.

There has been plenty of work on Knox Ozone in the past two years, but not the shopping centre. Picture: Stuart Milligan

The council’s recently released 2015-16 annual report revealed work with Westfield had occurred on the permanent and temporary libraries, but “revisions to the plan for the shopping centre redevelopment have meant delays to finalisation”.

The report said relocation into the temporary premises was not expected to occur before July next year, but work had progressed on the designs and lease arrangements with the aim of completing these by the end of the year.

Westfield has remained tight-lipped on when upgrade work will start, with the centre set to expand from 142,500sq m to 188,500sq m.

Chadstone has recently opened the first stage of its redevelopment.

Knox Council’s director of city development Angelo Kourambas told Leader earlier this year that as part of Westfield’s planning permit, development must start by November 26 next year.

Mr Kourambas said it was understood Westfield was working with relevant State Government authorities, including VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria and Melbourne Water, on amended plans to satisfy permit conditions.

Westfield Knox did not respond to a request for comment.