Katoomba Leura Online

Upper mountains residents forced to trek to Lithgow or Winmalee for basics since Kmart closed will be pleased to hear that Wesfarmers is planning a Target Country variety store in Katoomba Fair. The site, in Pioneer Place previously occupied by Franklins, has been owned by the Coles group for many years, and was used to deliver Lay-by items last Christmas for Kmart shoppers following that stores closure.

With no external building work required, the new shop could be open later this year.

Meanwhile, work continues on the old Coles/Kmart site, now owned by Woolworths and subject to redevelopment work to add parking and floorspace for the new Woolworths Supermarket and BigW stores. The battle between the retail duopoly saw front page news last month with claims of dirty tricks as each group sought control of the other’s real estate.

Work on the Woolworths/BigW site is expected to finish in 2014, dramatically increasing retail space in the region.

Work has been accelerating on the new Woolworths building in Leura.  The Goodies supermarket has closed, leaving locals without a nearby grocery option until the new store opens.

Current plans are for the new supermarket to open on the 14th of April.

The two Goodies premises are being refitted, and the other new Mall facing shops are also well into shop fitting. All shops are let.

Combined with renovations to the Old Post Office to accommodate a relocated newsagent, the eastern side of the Mall is a hive of building work, but completion will be here soon.

Brookfield Partnership has released a brochure advertising shops for lease in the yet to be completed Woolworths development on Leura Mall at the old Colless site. It includes and artists impression and plan view for those of us having difficulty envisioning just what is in store.

The Gazette reports, in a story that I think buried the lede, that Woolworths has struck a deal to buy the old Colless site in the Mall.

Work on the development has apparently ceased while future plans are confirmed. It is believed Woolies want to open a gourmet supermarket under the  Thomas Dux Grocer branding, retaining the planned underground car parking but no longer going ahead with the previously approved residential apartments on upper stories.

If the Woolworths plan goes ahead, it appears to be much more in keeping witht he village character – an up market supermarket catering to the Double Bay of the mountains ;-)

In any case, a scaled back development has positives for retaining Leura’s streetscape feel.