Canberra Centre
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Canberra Centre, shopping mall located in Civic, Canberra, Australia. It opened in 1963 as the Monaro Mall,[1] then underwent a $220 million redevelopment and became the Canberra Centre in 1989.
Prime Minister Robert Menzies opened the centre on 6 March 1963, which at the time was the first Australian shopping centre which was three storey, fully enclosed and air conditioned.[1] The Canberra Centre that it became, was opened by Chief Minister Rosemary Follett on 2 November, 1989.[1] The shopping centre was extended across Bunda street further down Ainslie Avenue in 2002. However, both redevelopments have been criticised by architects and town planners for breaking the axis which runs between Mount Ainslie and City Hill, part of Walter Burley Griffin's original plan for Canberra.[citation needed]
The shopping mall has three levels, one above ground and one below. It has Myer, David Jones and Target department stores, and many other smaller shops. The food court is located in the below ground section of the mall. The shopping centre is owned by Queensland Investment Corporation.
As part of the Section 84 development being built by the Queensland Investment Corporation, owners of the Canberra Centre, the centre will extend over to the other side of Petrie Street, over which a new retail bridge will be located, where there will be a Big W discount department store, 9 cinemas (operated by Dendy and Electric Shadows), a new Supabarn supermarket, Borders and a new food court. The Big W and most likely the Borders will open on 2 November 2006. The opening of Big W has been advertised on the side of ACTION buses in the lead up to it.
Upon completion the new Canberra Centre will feature a 3 floor David Jones, 3 floor Myer, Target, new Big W, a new Supabarn, new Borders (first in A.C.T.), Dendy Cinemas 9 screen cinema plus over 310 specialty stores.
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