Woolies checks out of second Bargara supermarket

WOOLWORTHS is set to walk on an undeveloped block of land in Bargara, which held an approved shopping centre development application - putting it on the market.

FOR SALE: Woolworths has put their undeveloped block of land on the market for the first time since 2009, after holding an approval to develop on the site until just last year. The development extension approval lapsed mid last year. Picture: CoreLogic

WOOLWORTHS is set to walk on an undeveloped block of land in Bargara, which held an approved shopping centre development application - putting it on the market for the first time since 2009.

The land at 60 Rifle Range Rd Bargara was bought for $2.13 million by Fabcot Pty Ltd, the in-house corporate property division for the Aussie supermarket chain - and has remained undeveloped despite an approval for a shopping centre to be built in 2009.

A year before buying the Rifle Range block, Woolworths moved into Bargara Central shopping centre, just 6km away from the plot.

In 2015 the company went to the planning and environmental court to extend their initial development approval for eight years from the original approval, and was successful,

That extension period ended mid last year. Despite the extension the 1.94 hectare block still stood bare.

That same year, a fire tore through an abandoned house on the land and was later demolished.

JLL selling agent for the property, Sam Byrne, said the decision by Fabcot to sell up came after the company assessed their options for the site.

"They purchased the property a while ago to undertake a development on there, however after a review of the business they recognised they no longer needed it, so they put it on the market,” Mr Byrne said.

A Woolworths spokesperson said since buying the Rifle Range Rd property in 2009, they had instead made a business decision to expand their existing Bargara Central store.

"Since purchasing the land we have expanded and refreshed our existing supermarket located close by at Bargara Central Shopping Centre,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson declined to expand on why the land was never developed.

Mr Byrne said expressions of interest closed on Thursday afternoon, and the property had seen interest from Brisbane based and local developers.

"They may do a retail or community use style development ... we think it will be a mix of service station with a convenience store, or a couple of other shops,” he said.

"Potentially even a residential development to go along with it.

"We see good buyers that would put some good products on there in that much-needed precinct.”

Originally published as Woolies checks out of second Bargara supermarket