Westfield Doncaster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Westfield Doncaster (also known as Shoppingtown or by locals as "Shoppo") is a shopping centre owned by the Westfield Group and located in Doncaster, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located on the corner of Williamsons Road and Doncaster Road in the center of the Doncaster Hill precinct, an ongoing planning initiative by the local Manningham council.
Located 20 minutes east from the central business district of Melbourne, the centre officially opened on September 30, 1969. The original $12-million centre consisted of the four storey Myer building at the north end, two levels of shops running along the west side to the then white eight storey office tower building. On the east side the two layers of shops turn into one layer. Coles New World was where the food court now is.
In the early 1980's the centre was extended south with two single storey rows of shops, Kmart, Coles and Village Cinemas.
A major redevelopment completed in 1992 saw the centre expand further. A second level of shops was added to the south end including Franklins and a fresh food court above Coles and Kmart where Safeway is now located. Outside, the colours were a jarring Californian design and local protests saw Westfield alter the image in line with local tastes.
Plans have been approved for a long delayed further redevelopment, in line with the Doncaster Hill strategy.
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[edit] Retailers & physical layout
The shopping centre is a single rectangular shaped building with two individual levels which span most of the length of the complex. Major retailers are located on either end of the centre, including:
- Myer department store
- K-Mart closed during revitilisation. Will reopen November 2008
- Safeway closed during revitilisation. Will reopen April 2008
- Coles closed during revitilisation. Will reopen April 2008
- David Jones department store Opening October 2008
- Big W Opening October 2008
- Village Cinemas 9 cinemas including Gold Class Opening late 2008
Due to the revitalisation of the centre, Kmart, Coles and Safeway are temporarily closing. The two supermarkets are scheduled to re-open in April 2008 along with Kmart in November 2008.
Westfield used to have two popular stores, the Warner Bros Gift store and a Disney store. Unfortunately, both the Warner Bros store and the Disney store eventually closed.
There was also a Village Twin Cinema on the Williamson's Road frontage. This was demolished in September 2006 to make way for a multi-level car park as the centre extention will limit space for parking.
The shopping complex also features a public library (now relocated to the Manningham Council chambers), bus interchange, office tower and 600-seat food court.
Approximately 241 retailers share 55,777m² of lettable area, with an annual turnover of $335.8 million (2004 figure). Roughly 9.4 million customers visit the shopping complex each year. The trade area population is 343,330 in the surrounding suburbs, with a combined retail spending of $3.8 billion.
[edit] Revitilisation
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This article or section contains information about expected future buildings or structures. It is likely to contain information of a speculative nature, and the content may change as building construction begins and new information becomes available. |
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Preliminary works at the centre over recent months have provided a platform for the main construction works to create, by late 2008, a centre almost double the current size. The revitalised centre will feature around 200 new retailers, a cinema complex and areas that take advantage of the site’s elevated views.
The changes include:
A new David Jones department store and two new discount department stores; New food court, restaurant, lifestyle and entertainment areas; A new fresh food precinct; and Extra car parking with improved access.
Around April 2008 the first stage opening should see Coles and Safeway supermarkets return, among other traders. Further openings as part of the revitalisation project will occur during the second half of 2008.
[edit] Public transport & parking
There are 3,545 car parking spaces on the site, with the majority being of surface car park variety. The site also contains multi-storey and roof-top parking.
The bus interchange off Williamsons Road acts as a major hub for transport activity in the Doncaster district. Situated between two rail lines, the only public transport available to Westfield Doncaster is via bus services. Westfield Doncaster is served by several major routes including route 291, a part of the Red Orbital SmartBus and services linking it to the Melbourne CBD as well as to local City of Manningham areas.
