| Location | Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia |
|---|---|
| Opening date | November 1970 |
| Management | Westfield Group |
| Owner | Westfield Group |
| No. of stores and services | 324[1] |
| No. of anchor tenants | 13[1] |
| Total retail floor area | 137,286m2 (1,478,455 Sq Ft)[1] |
| Parking | 5,632[1] |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Website | westfield.com/fountaingate |
Westfield Fountain Gate is a super regional shopping centre located in Narre Warren in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It has approximately 324 stores which makes it the 13th largest in Australia by number of shops and is the largest shopping centre in Victoria which does not feature a full line department store.[2]
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Initially opening in November 1970, the centre was reconstructed and re-opened on 11 March 1980 by the Victorian Governor of the time, Henry Winneke, with a Kmart and Coles New World being the major tenants. In September 1988, the adjacent homemaker centre opened. The centre was later purchased by the Westfield Group in July 1995 and was eventually extended and redeveloped into a much larger complex, which was completed by November 2001. The centre hosts a variety of major chains including Kmart, Coles, Woolworths, Big W, Target, Aldi and approximately 320 specialty stores.
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.
It is the location of the first ever Krispy Kreme in Victoria.
Under an agreement made in 2003, David Jones was set to open a store at the centre between 2008 and 2012, of a size of approximately 12,500 sq.m. David Jones had flagged that the store will open in 2011 as part of their 4 year plan. However in July 2010, they managed to escape the contract, with Myer being announced as the replacement tenant. They will build a 12,000 sq m store, construction commencing in 2011 for completion by late 2012. David Jones had been trying to get out of the contract since 2003 as Fountain Gate did not fit the company's strategy or target demographic. David Jones will get their money back, which was around $13 million (adjusted with inflation)[3]
Since late 2010, construction on a new major extension, the first since 2001, is in progress. Approved by the City of Casey in December 2007, the extension will feature a new two level 12,000m2 Myer store, a new 4200m2 Coles store, in a new location near the former BI-LO, with the existing store shell being reconfigured with space for two new minor anchor stores, as well as providing increased retail space for Target, which will increase from 6884m2 to 8368m2. Four new minor anchor retail spaces will also be constructed, as well as 114 new specialty store spaces and 1500 new car parking spaces, with new ground level parking surrounding the centre and new rooftop parking above the new mall areas being constructed.[4] Artist impressions and a video fly-through of the expected finish of the centre are available at http://westfield.com.au/fountaingate/centre-information/development-update
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.
Fountain Gate has 326 individual stores.
Major stores in the centre include Coles Supermarkets, Crazy John's, Dick Smith, Woolworths, Big W, Village Cinemas, Aldi, Target and Kmart. A new Harris Scarfe has recently opened, replacing Dimmeys. Dick Smith has also had a full refurbishment. Outside the main centre there are, among others, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Rays Outdoors, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Cash Converters outlets, as well as a fast food precinct. There is also a fitness gym, a local Centrelink office, Casey ARC, a swimming pool complex, and the local library
Narre Warren railway station is approximately 1 km 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 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.
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