By Alesha Capone
A town centre with 8000 square metres of retail space, located on an island surrounded by water, will be developed in Werribee’s Harpley estate.
A Wyndham council planning committee approved the Lendlease proposal last week (Tuesday, December 14).
Upon completion, Harpley will become home to more than 12,000 residents.
The area will also have more than 100 hectares of proposed open space and 15 hectares of sports fields.
The town centre, at 270 Bulban Road, will be developed in two stages starting with a site measuring 30,118 square metres.
The smaller eastern portion of the site will be developed at a later stage.
For the first stage, a building including a Coles supermarket; specialty retail, food and drink premises; and gym will be constructed.
More than 340 at-grade car parks will be built, with an additional 86 vehicles spaces within a parking basement.
An outdoor plaza area will be located adjacent to Bradfield Street.
Construction has commenced on the 20 hectare lake that will surround the entire town centre.
The town centre itself will be directly adjacent to childcare, school and community facilities.
In addition, it will be surrounded by medium-density residential precincts, consisting of townhouses and apartments.
Civil works have been completed at the town centre, with building works set to begin mid-2022.
The town centre is due to open to the public in mid-2023.
Lendlease has appointed Eildon Capital Group as its development partner for the retail component of the centre.
The council planning committee also approved a separate proposal last week, for a 73 residential lot subdivision to be developed at 270 Bulban Road.
The site, located near the future Harpley town centre, also includes a public open space reserve.
A future high-density “super lot” with apartments was included in the subdivision proposal.
However, the super-lot will be “subject to further design and council approvals”.
Lendlease’s head of communities – Victoria, Anne Jolic, said: “Council’s approval of a further subdivision for future residential development at Harpley, along with the delivery of the first stage of the development of the Harpley town centre, will deliver much-needed services and facilities to the community and its surrounds sooner than anticipated.”
