Cade Lucas
Department store giant Myer leads the latest round of businesses at Pacific Werribee temporarily closing their doors due to ongoing repairs at the shopping centre.
Myer’s final day of trading will be on February 14, with the retailer planning to re-open by late November.
The next stage of rectification works to the structure of Pacific Werribee will be focused towards the Myer end of the centre, meaning nearby businesses including H&M, Village Cinemas, JB Hi-Fi, Grill’d and The Sporting Globe, will also close in February.
Some retailers such as Just Jeans, Jay Jays and Sportsgirl plan to reopen by the middle of the year, while others including Mecca, Peter Jackson and Pandora will temporarily relocate to other parts of the shopping centre.
Bras N Things will relocate permanently to another location within Pacific Werribee from March.
Late last year the Plaza Tavern became the first business to announce their temporary closure due to stage two of the rectification works, with its final day scheduled for January 28.
Given the size of its workforce, the length of time it will be closed and it being the only outlet within Wyndham, the closure of Myer Pacific Werribee is the most impactful.
In a statement, a Myer spokesperson said the company had no other option.
“These rectification works, which are required by the landlord, will require Myer Werribee to be temporarily closed for a period of time this year. We thank customers for their understanding during this time, and will continue to serve them at nearby stores and online whilst the store is closed.”
Permanent Myer employees are being redeployed where possible and will be invited to return once the Pacific Werribee store reopens.
Structural issues at Pacific Werribee were first identified in 2021 in the area between Myer and Target which was built during a $370 million redevelopment in 2014.
Repairs at the Target end began in January last year and forced the temporary closure of Target and other nearby stores, all of which have since reopened.
A spokesperson for Pacific Werribee said the situation at the Myer end was no different and posed no risk to the public.
“We have been working with the retailers involved for a significant period of time in planning for these temporary changes,” the spokesperson said.
“Our specialist engineers have confirmed the centre remains safe for occupation and operation, and the centre will continue to trade throughout the remainder of these works.”
