Harbour Town Gold Coast: First look at Biggera Waters shopping centre's expansion
The expansion of Harbour Town Shopping Centre is ramping up, with plans for two new precincts, requiring the demolition of several key shops. FIND OUT MORE
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The expansion of Harbour Town Shopping Centre is ramping up, with plans for two new precincts.
Plans have been lodged with the Gold Coast City Council to create the “northwest” precinct and “entertainment leisure” precinct.
The entertainment precinct will be created on the eastern side of the complex near the dining area and will feature “a new amusement parlour”.
It will replace existing carparking on the site.
The northwest precinct will feature the creation of 770sq m of extra floor space.
It will require the demolition of the existing Oakley, Sheridan, Factorie, Gazman, Colette and Gant shops.
“These precincts will form part of the existing Harbour Town Shopping Centre and will provide for additional commercial and entertainment services on offer by the centre,” a planning report on the project reads.
“It is proposed that each stage can be established independent of each other.”
It comes just months after a $7m expansion of the southern side of the complex was unveiled.
It will include new dining and food kiosks, additional seating and shade and the creation of a new courtyard outside Woolworths in place of an existing fountain.
Announced in May, it is expected to be complete in time for the Christmas holidays.
Harbour Town operator Lewis Land Group is keen for further changes in the area as it ramps up construction of its multi-billion dollar Harbour Shores project across the road.
The company last week used the Bulletin’s Future Gold Coast campaign to call for the light rail’s long proposed northern route to be prioritised.as the city’s population heads towards one million people.
The proposed route for a Harbour Town connection was a 3km spur line with several stops, including at Southport Sharks and further north at Central Street.
Lewis Land senior development manager Matt Hills said the light rail was key to the future transformation of the area.
Everyone knows the future development potential is in the north and it is imperative that there is public transport,” he said.
“Right now it is adequate but as more and more people move here, it will be essential for that to be improved because we are going from a small city to a major player economically and it is essential to have the public transport like the light rail to match.
“It is tough for governments to get the timing right because it’s better to have it before you need it but they had the foresight to set (the future line) up. Why not deliver it in a timely manner?”
However, don’t expect to see a northern tramline until the 2030s, with city and political leaders focused on construction of Stage 3 – between Broadbeach and Burleigh – and planning for Stage 4, which will run from Burleigh Heads to the border via Gold Coast Airport.
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Originally published as Harbour Town Gold Coast: First look at Biggera Waters shopping centre's expansion
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