Rejuvenated Plaza to open next month

The redeveloped Bunbury Plaza is expected to open in the middle of next month, according to the shopping centre’s leasing agent.

JLL associate director of retail property and asset management Alex Martin said the expanded centre would include 14 specialty stores and three new tenants.

Twelve will open either at the same time as Woolworths or beforehand.

Only two of these remain untenanted with negotiations in place for one of the remaining sites.

A mid-November opening is planned and centre co-owner Jim Markotis said he believed the redevelopment would be a catalyst for the surrounding areas.

“I’m ecstatic with the progress and the way everything has gone,” Mr Markotis said.

“It was Bunbury’s first shopping centre and it will now be Bunbury’s newest supermarket.

“Doing this has created a lot of interest for other nearby blocks and there have been a few inquiries about the developm-ent potential of the whole area.”

Woolworths has signed a 20-year lease to stay at the Plaza and internal fit-out has already started.

Three new specialty stores are also planned for the redeveloped centre.

These will be a bakery, Japanese takeaway restaurant and a long-time fashion retailer who is moving from elsewhere in Bunbury.

Mr Martin said retaining existing tenants had been a focus and he was happy with the development’s progress since the supermarket closed its doors in April last year.

“It’s been challenging given all the necessary items to progress such a development,” Mr Martin said.

“Local government, major tenants, neighbouring property owners, existing specialty tenants, and project consultants all need to be liaised with and satisfied.

“Coordinating all these separate parties has been a challenge – yet we are almost at the finish line and can see the fruits of the hard work all parties have put into the project.”