WINDRADYNE’S Westpoint Shopping Centre is in the middle of a big shake up as existing retailers start to move into their new homes.
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Development manager Jonathan Carlile said that the process of moving retailers into the new wing of the shopping centre had begun with the pharmacy.
“We moved our pharmacy tenant over today (Monday) in the new shop and we’ve got D'Aquino's, the liquor shop, moving into the end of the new wing,” he said.
The move of the liquor store will allow for the expansion of the IGA supermarket, with its floorspace set to almost double to around 1200 square metres.
Mr Carlile said that the IGA expansion was important in helping Westpoint serve its growing community.
“It will be marvelous to have a full 1200m IGA with a much better range,” he said.
Tenancy space is still available in the development, with certain businesses highly desirable to fill them.
Mr Carlile said that the development was after a hairdresser or a barber to go into the new wing, and the hunt was still on for a cafe to slot in beside Domino’s Pizza.
“I would have been happier to have more tenants in at this point, but it always tends to happen after the building goes up,” he said.
Mr Carlile said businesses can make inquiries at any time about tenancy space, but more marketing would happen after the Bathurst 1000 to aid the search for tenants.
“We’ve got Raine and Horne and Bathurst Real Estate on board and we will hit the marketing again in the lead up to Christmas,” he said.
Prior to businesses starting to move across to the new building, the new section of the car park was made available and it will soon be fully operational.
Mr Carlile said it should only be a matter of weeks before customers find the entrance to the shopping centre much easier to access.
He also praised the existing retailers, who had been extremely patient during the construction process.
“I’ve just got to take my hat off to the existing retailers,” he said.
“It has been disruptive and it has been a difficult process, but there was no other way to do it.”
Mr Carlile added that, while more construction was ahead for the project, none of the remaining stages “will be as disruptive as this had been”.
In addition to the retailers, a new 105-place childcare centre will be available upstairs in the new wing.
It is anticipated to be open in January, 2019.