A new three-storey shopping centre with a rooftop hospitality venue has been proposed for Moggill Road in Kenmore, with renders lodged with Brisbane City Council showing an independent Harris Farm grocery store could form part of the development, Brisbane Times reported. A spokesperson representing the developer said Harris Farm had not signed on officially.
The development application was lodged by Studio Arkitecture on Tuesday (27 October) for the reconfiguration of multiple lots on the corner of Moggill Road and Princeton Street. Renders included in the application show a Harris Farm store alongside other generic stores such as a cafe, butcher and bakery.
Craft Village Group, which developed Everton Plaza in Everton Park, is behind the plans. The group said the centre would include a boutique fresh fruit and vegetable retailer and a range of lifestyle, health and wellness services, as well as the rooftop hospitality venue.
Three Storeys and Basement Parking
A small shopping centre already operates on the site at 2077-2061 Moggill Road, with tenants including Bakers Delight and Snap Fitness. The new centre would be three storeys, with the lower ground taken up by basement car parking.
The centre would connect to a car park on Princeton Street, and no new development would front that street. The site is across from Kenmore State School and down the road from Kenmore Village Shopping Centre, which houses the suburb's Coles supermarket.
Everton Plaza Experience
"Kenmore is already a wonderful place to live. It has established families, a strong sense of community and a lifestyle that people really value," Craft Village Group chief executive Miranda Wilson said. "What we see is an opportunity to add something that complements all of that. Somewhere people can enjoy great food, meet friends, spend time with family or simply feel more connected to the neighbourhood they call home."
Wilson said Craft's experience reinvigorating Everton Plaza had informed how it approaches suburban villages. "One of the things we've learned at Everton Park is that people really value having quality hospitality experiences close to home," she said.
"We see a similar opportunity in Kenmore, although every neighbourhood is different," she said. "Our intention isn't to recreate Everton Park. It's to take what we've learned and apply that thinking in a way that feels right for Kenmore and the people who live there."
The Everton Plaza website says the centre, at the corner of South Pine and Stafford Roads, has served Everton Park and surrounding suburbs for over 50 years, and describes its Park Lane precinct as "the Northside's iconic dining laneway". Craft's own website lists a proposed Moggill Road neighbourhood centre called Cornerstone Village at an "early planning stage", saying the project aims "to blend a fresh food market with local retail services and hospitality".
Harris Farm in Brisbane
Harris Farm, which started in Sydney, currently has Brisbane stores in Clayfield and West End, with another scheduled to open in Bulimba next year, according to Brisbane Times. The grocer's official store list includes its Clayfield store and its West End store on Boundary Street.
A western suburbs Harris Farm store was previously expected to open in Toowong, as part of a tower development on a vacant site across the road from Toowong Village, Brisbane Times reported. The masthead said Harris Farm had been contacted for comment.
Community Consultation
The Kenmore plans will now progress to community consultation, according to Brisbane Times.