By Sarah Crawford
sarah [dot] crawford [at] dailymercury [dot] com [dot] au
Lend Lease Retail has put forward its vision for an expanded Caneland Central that would face the Pioneer River and include a two-storey Myer department store, a new food court and restaurants with al fresco dining.
Mackay Regional Council's planning department is now poring over the development application (DA), which, if approved, would change the face of the City Heart and enliven the Pioneer riverfront.
On the ground floor Cornetts Supa IGA would be expanded and refurbished.There would be two restaurants facing the Pioneer River, offering open-air dining, as well as numerous specialty stores and larger retailers, known as mini majors. Escalators would take shoppers upstairs to the second level of Myer, a new food court facing the Pioneer River, a café as well as more specialty stores and mini majors.
Caneland Central manager Anna-Maree Coco said a new centre court was also planned for hosting special events. Ms Coco said the extension would be open-plan and take advantage of natural light. "It should also improve connectivity to the Bluewater Trail (the Pioneer promenade)" she said.
The extension will be built on parkland to the north of Caneland Central next to the Bluewater Lagoon. There will be 779 extra carparks bringing the total number of parking bays to 2800. The shopping centre covers 42 500 square metres; the extension would bring Caneland Central's footprint to 67 500sq m.
A footpath would be built on the new northern front of the shopping centre and River Street would be realigned so it would run along the Pioneer River north of Caneland Central.
A Mackay Regional Council spokesperson said Lend Lease Retail's development application would be given priority as it was a major project for the city centre.
Ms Coco said pending approvals, work could start as early as 2009. "From the date of commencement, works should take around two years to complete" she said.
Taken from The Daily Mercury November 2008