Jape family plan new commercial precinct in Ludmilla

A famous Darwin family wants to develop a new commercial and retail precinct in a Darwin suburb. Read what’s planned.

Darwin’s Jape family has dusted off a 15-year-old plan for a new commercial and retail development in suburban Ludmilla.

Stage one of the proposal includes a 4000sqm supermarket, 2000sqm of specialty lifestyle retail, fast food and service station “designed to serve Ludmilla, Parap, Fannie Bay, Coconut Grove and surrounding neighbourhoods”.

The $35 million mixed use development would be anchored by a full-line supermarket with specialty retail stores, a fast food outlet, service station and 510 car park spaces.

Jape's Ludmilla plan November 2025

The development is planned on four hectares of crown land, administered by the Gwalwa Daraniki Association and bordered by Bagot Road, Totem Road, Dick Ward Drive and Fitzer Drive.

Jape Group executive chairman Alan Jape said the project was planned on land that had sat unused for more than 50 years and is targeting local, national and international names as tenants.

Alan Jape at the new shopping centre, Timor Plaza, in Dili, East Timor.

“We are so excited at the potential of this lifestyle and retail precinct for the Ludmilla area and its surrounds,” Mr Jape said.

“We have long ties with Darwin and its people, having been based here for many years and involved in developing some well-known buildings.

“We are hopeful this will be a truly game-changing lifestyle and retail precinct for the area, offering locals and visitors greater choice when it comes to where they do their shopping, whether it’s the weekly groceries or some retail therapy.

“We want to have something to offer everyone and believe this is the right development for the area.”

An application lodged last week with the Development Consent Authority by Sargeant Planning on behalf of Jape principle Citiland 1, said the project seeks “to align” the endorsed masterplan with 2025 traffic conditions and to meet “contemporary retail needs”.

A schematic of how the proposed development could look.

The Japes have a 99-year lease on the land from the Gwalwa Daraniki Association and recently installed a new cyclone fence around the site, with pink development signs hoisted last week.

As well as varying the masterplan, the application seeks to amend lot and staging plans and to develop three shops, three restaurants and a service station at the site.

A 2012 traffic assessment expired three years ago, with the new application noting a growth in vehicle traffic and ongoing pedestrian safety at Bagot Road and Fitzer Drive and Dickward and Fitzer Drives.

The application said Gwalwa Daraniki has actively sought to kickstart development on the site and engaged in various commercial in confidence discussions with future partners and lessees to use the site.

A mixture of retail and commercial is planned.

A 2010 proposal for the site included 250 homes, with the latest application noting that additional residential and business development in the area would generate more traffic.

It said City of Darwin is expected to begin work in coming months on upgrades to the Fitzer Drive, Dickward Drive intersection.

With a development footprint in Darwin dating back almost 50 years, Jape Group has previously developed centres close to the proposed development site including Jape Shopping Centre, Jape Plaza and the 63,000 sqm Jape Homemaker Village.

Gwalwa Daraniki Association declined to comment. Submissions can be lodged until December 19.

Originally published as Jape family plan new commercial precinct in Ludmilla