Westfield Fountain Gate

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Westfield Fountain Gate
Westfield Fountain Gate
Facts and statistics
Location Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates 38°1′7″S 145°18′15″E / -38.01861, 145.30417Coordinates: 38°1′7″S 145°18′15″E / -38.01861, 145.30417
Opening date 1970
Developer The Westfield Group
Management The Westfield Group
Owner The Westfield Group
No. of stores and services 329 [1]
No. of floors 2 (Level One and Two)
Website westfield.com/fountaingate

Westfield Fountain Gate is a large regional shopping centre located at Narre Warren in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It is currently the second largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere (behind Knox City Shopping Centre with a lettable area of over 138,000 m². It has approximately 316 stores which makes it the 13th largest in Australia by number of shops. [2].

Built in the 1970s, it was purchased by The Westfield Group in the 1990s and redeveloped into a much larger complex. The centre hosts a variety of major chains including Kmart, Coles, Safeway, BiLo, Big W, Target, Aldi and approximately 320 specialty stores.

Under an agreement made in 2003, David Jones are to open a store between 2008 and 2012 of a size around 12,500 sq.m. David Jones have flagged that the store will open in 2011 as part of their 4 year plan.

One of the major drawcards of the centre is the entertainment precinct known as The Street. This precinct features a number of entertainment stores, book stores, cafes and a Village Cinemas.

The centre has plans for further future development, including cinema extensions, and construction of more specialty stores. In August 2007 it was announced that, if approved by the City of Casey, the centre may undergo a $200 million dollar extension. It will house a new David Jones department store, approximately 50 new shops and an extra 1200 car parking spaces.

It is the location of the first ever Krispy Kreme in Victoria.

Fountain Gate Shopping Centre is named as the mall frequented by the characters in popular television series Kath & Kim. Scenes in the show are filmed at Fountain Gate, and at another Westfield complex, Westfield Southland.

Fountain Gate Shopping Centre was a filming location in feature film Bad Eggs, where in the first scene a car rolls into the actual shopping centre. In the film's story the mall is named Crystal Heights Shop Kingdom.

Contents

[edit] Stores

Fountain Gate has 326 individual stores. There are two Bakers Delights, two Hairhouse Warehouse shops, two Angus & Robertson bookstores and three Wendy's franchises in the complex.

Major stores in the centre

  • Dick Smith Electronics PowerHouse
  • Bi-Lo
  • Coles
  • Safeway
  • Big W
  • Village Cinemas
  • Aldi
  • Target
  • Kmart
  • David Jones planned opening 2008-2012

As well as a fitness gym, a local Centrelink office and also housed in the Fountain Gate precint is the City of Casey Aquatic Centre and the community library.

[edit] Transport

Narre Warren railway station is approximately 1km away from the centre and is linked by a number of bus routes to Westfield Fountain Gate. Some regional buses also stop at Fountain Gate.

The following bus routes stop at Fountain Gate:

Routes 834, 835, 840, 841 and 895 operate via Narre Warren railway station.

The Hallam Bypass, a new section of the Monash Freeway opened in 2003 passes beside the complex and can be viewed from the windows in the food court. A trail known as the Hallam Bypass Trail constructed at the same time runs beside the centre, on the north east side, providing access for cyclists and pedestrians.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Westfield
  2. ^ Will Castle Hill get Australia's biggest mall? Sydney Morning Herald, 9 March 2007

[edit] External links

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Westfield Shopping Centres in Australia
Westfield Group