PARK Ridge Shopping Centre is set to almost triple in size with its expansion to include a new supermarket, speciality stores and car parks.
The development application for stage one of the expansion of the shopping centre, on the corner of Mt Lindesay Highway and Park Ridge Road, was approved by Logan City Council in April this year.
It was submitted by town planning consultants Planning Initiatives for Western Australia company RG Property Three Pty Ltd.
The expansion will increase the size of the shopping centre from 5148 sq m to 13,095 sq m.
Construction work is underway, with land cleared adjacent to the existing Woolworths supermarket for the new Coles supermarket. The existing Woolworths supermarket will also be extended and refurbished.
A central part of the stage one expansion will be the mini public plaza to be built in front of the Coles supermarket.
It will cater for a range of pedestrian friendly activities including a playground, shaded seating, restaurants and cafes and speciality retail.
The number of car parks at the shopping centre will more than double, from 304 to 652.
A mini major, which is a small retail store, will be built between the Coles and Woolworths supermarkets and have a walkway through it.
Council planning and development committee chairwoman Cherie Dalley said council was excited to see the expansion under way.
She said Park Ridge was expected to have 30,000 residents by 2030 which would create the need for more retail shopping centres.
"If you also look at the growth in Jimboomba, Flagstone, New Beith, Greenbank, Hillcrest and Regents Park, people are going to need greater choice in the future," Cr Dalley said.
"In the west of Logan it (the shopping centre expansion) is unique, apart from Grand Plaza, in the fact that it does have two supermarkets.
"I'm hopeful this shopping centre development will be the catalyst for more development in the western end of Park Ridge."
