On March 5 last year I wrote a post about a redevelopment of a local shopping centre. The original shopping centre had been built in the late 60s early 70s.
A friend sent me an old photo that she had found...the old shopping centre was down in a hollow in the centre of the site with the building surrounded by a rather large carpark. The centre contained a supermarket and quite a number of small shops. There was also a reception lounge.
In last year's post I showed photos of the earthworks on the site and pondered the use of the words , 'Opening soon' on the hoardings around the site. Just how 'soon' is 'soon'?
A month or so on from March 2016...
Then in August I was in the suburb checking out the op shops for items for the 60s night that DH and I were going to. So out came the phone and I took some progress photos...
By the beginning of this year, the huge site appeared to be covered by the building with car park spaces on the roof and underneath the building. And 'badging' had been done...Coles and Liquorland were the only signs we could see. Cafes? Pharmacy? Newsagency ? No signs any way...
It is a huge supermarket! But I'll stick with my smaller local Coles.
Now this shopping centre is near Alderley railway station and parking around Brisbane stations can be quite challenging as the station carparks fill up very early in the morning Mon-Fri. So there are signs in this new centre informing customers that there is 2 hours free parking. If you stay longer, it is $77. But I think you can stay the whole day for that price! Management claims it is to stop rail commuters from parking there and then travelling to the city.
A friend sent me an old photo that she had found...the old shopping centre was down in a hollow in the centre of the site with the building surrounded by a rather large carpark. The centre contained a supermarket and quite a number of small shops. There was also a reception lounge.
In last year's post I showed photos of the earthworks on the site and pondered the use of the words , 'Opening soon' on the hoardings around the site. Just how 'soon' is 'soon'?
By the beginning of this year, the huge site appeared to be covered by the building with car park spaces on the roof and underneath the building. And 'badging' had been done...Coles and Liquorland were the only signs we could see. Cafes? Pharmacy? Newsagency ? No signs any way...
On February 18, the store opened. And perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised to find that the site was completely given over to a Coles supermarket and their subsidiary bottleshop Liquorland...no small businesses at all.
Now this shopping centre is near Alderley railway station and parking around Brisbane stations can be quite challenging as the station carparks fill up very early in the morning Mon-Fri. So there are signs in this new centre informing customers that there is 2 hours free parking. If you stay longer, it is $77. But I think you can stay the whole day for that price! Management claims it is to stop rail commuters from parking there and then travelling to the city.
6 comments:
The colors are rather ... loud. Good for drawing in customers, I guess. In one photo it looks like the car park has awnings for the cars. Am I right? Shade to park in would be a treat in summer. And I need a little interpretation of Aussie terms. In the original shopping center, what is a "reception lounge"?
That is a big supermarket!!
God bless.
I don't like how Coles and woolies are taking over everywhere. I love the bakery and the greengrocer and yes a pharmacy is really handy too.
Big business taking over
not see car parks on the roof of buildings before a good idea. The parking fee should deter people from using it as a work car park. It too over 3 years fro our Asda to be completed so one year is not too bad!
It usually takes about a year to put up a complex like that here in the USA. I like the idea of parking on the roof. However, I don't think I would like the HUGE supermarket. Are they kind of like a Walmart here? Having just about everything you could possibly want and one stop to boot? Our area has a couple of Malls that have converted to what we call strip malls here. All entrances are accessed from the outside. I like indoor access better, but most people today like to run in to the store they want and not have to go into an indoor mall. Just another way things are changing.
xx, Carol
I am a bit surprised they took that long - usually Coles/Woolies are in there quick smart. Hopefully the smaller shop wont be a causality of the new big one. I can understand the hefty parking price, and if it is only a supermarket & alcohol - you really do not need more than 2 hours.
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