Gordonvale Woolworths shopping centre construction officially begins
Construction is about to start on a new $20m shopping centre with Woolworths finally breaking ground after more than a decade of anticipation.
Cairns
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CONSTRUCTION is about to start on a new $20m shopping centre at Gordonvale with Woolworths finally breaking ground after more than a decade of waiting.
A traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony was held at the Draper Rd site on Wednesday to mark the beginning of construction on a centre with more than 500sq m of retail space, a full-line modern Woolworths and eight specialty stores.
It has been a long time coming, dating back to Cairns Regional Council’s initial rejection of the project in 2010 and its subsequent Planning and Environment Court appeal loss in 2013 which cost ratepayers about $600,000.
Woolworths regional development manager Marissa Hopewell said the project would create 80 construction jobs and about 120 ongoing positions once operational.
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The new centre should be open to shoppers in mid-2022.
“It’s been many years in the making and we’re looking forward to commencing construction on a state-of-the-art shopping centre for the Gordonvale community,” Ms Hopewell said.
“Woolworths Gordonvale Shopping Centre forms an important part of our ongoing commitment to invest in Far North Queensland to support jobs growth and increased demand for more localised, neighbourhood retail close to where residents live and work.”
A chorus of supporters has come on board following the announcement, including Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt who said he had backed the project since the get-go.
“I’ve long supported a Woolworths development in the growing southern corridor of Cairns,” he said.
“The location on Draper Rd will draw shoppers from as far south as Babinda, and provide options for a trolley shop closer to home for residents of Goldsborough and Mount Peter.
“Population infill is already occurring, attracting more families with teenage children looking for their first job opportunity.
“The $481m Bruce Highway duplication between Edmonton and Gordonvale will provide safe and easy access to the new Woolworths site.
“I am pleased to have secured funding for a pedestrian overpass just south of the development which will ensure connectivity between the old and new parts of Gordonvale, which will continue to support the economic viability of the Gordonvale CBD.”
Mayor Bob Manning was also on board despite the council’s initial opposition to the centre’s location drawing the population away from the traditional Gordonvale CBD.
“We know that future population growth of Cairns will be very much to the south of the city, and this new development will play an important role in servicing the area,” he said.
Originally published as Gordonvale Woolworths shopping centre construction officially begins
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