The location of Estella’s first supermarket is beginning to emerge as construction continues. Photo: Supplied.
Things have started to take shape in Wagga Wagga’s northern suburbs with two major commercial developments on track to open this year.
Commercial real estate agents for both the Estella Central and Phar Lap Place shopping centres confirmed that things are progressing towards the first handful of businesses operating before Christmas.
Raine and Horne’s Dylan Wooden has been out checking on the Estella site and said the pad has been laid out for a new full-format FoodWorks supermarket and a bottle shop.
“They’re locked and loaded and good to go,” he confirmed.
Several recent changes have been made to the planned layout for the first floor and Mr Wooden said they are waiting for approval from council before moving ahead on the broader development.
“We’re trying our hardest to get them up and running before December,” he said.
“The supermarket, the bottle shop and four specialty shops – we want to have them open before Christmas.”
An artist’s impression of the planned Estella Central shopping centre. Photo: Supplied.
The specialty shops were likely to include a takeaway, a pizza shop, a hairdresser and a newsagent. A cafe with a large outdoor area was planned for the second area and upstairs, a gym and two restaurants would offer spectacular views.
“We want to have locals supporting locals, that’s what we’re about. And that’s what we’ve done previously,” Mr Wooden said.
Residents in the booming northern suburbs of Estella, Boorooma and Gobbagombalin have been asking for local facilities for more than a decade and in the meantime, driving 10 to 15 minutes into Wagga for essentials.
Raine and Horne has been working with local businessman Stuart Webster on the Estella project since he first received council approval in 2015.
“Conditions weren’t right, interest rates weren’t right and obviously when you’re developing a shopping centre that’s going to cost $15 odd million; you don’t just want to rush into it,” Mr Wooden said.
“He (Mr Webster) also owns Lake Village and Turvy Park, so some really good local neighbourhood centres there that aren’t just chucking in whoever and whatever. There’s a lot of thought that goes into the tenancy mix.”
The Phar Lap Place development in Boorooma, on track to open a chemist later this year. Photo: Chris Roe.
The smaller, eight-shop facility down the hill in Boorooma was being developed on land belonging to the Roman Catholic Church and would include a chemist and a service station.
Geoff Seymour from Fitzpatricks Real Estate said the build was progressing and the chemist was confirmed, but they were still working on the final mix of tenants.
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