Westfield Fountain Gate
Encyclopedia
Westfield Fountain Gate is a super regional shopping centre located in Narre Warren
in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne
, Australia
. It has approximately 324 stores which makes it the 13th largest in Australia by number of shops and is the largest shopping centre in Victoria which does not feature a full line department store.
, with a Kmart and Coles New World being the major tenants. In September 1988, the adjacent homemaker centre opened. The centre was later purchased by the Westfield Group in July 1995 and was eventually extended and redeveloped into a much larger complex, which was completed by November 2001. The centre hosts a variety of major chains including Kmart
, Coles
, Woolworths, Big W
, Target
, Aldi
and approximately 320 specialty stores.
One of the major drawcards of the centre is the entertainment precinct known as The Street. This precinct features a number of entertainment stores, book stores, cafes and a Village Cinemas
.
It is the location of the first ever Krispy Kreme
in Victoria.
was set to open a store at the centre between 2008 and 2012, of a size of approximately 12,500 sq.m. David Jones had flagged that the store will open in 2011 as part of their 4 year plan. However in July 2010, they managed to escape the contract, with Myer
being announced as the replacement tenant. They will build a 12,000 sq m store, construction commencing in 2011 for completion by late 2012. David Jones had been trying to get out of the contract since 2003 as Fountain Gate did not fit the company's strategy or target demographic. David Jones will get their money back, which was around $13 million (adjusted with inflation)
Since late 2010, construction on a new major extension, the first since 2001, is in progress. Approved by the City of Casey
in December 2007, the extension will feature a new two level 12,000m2 Myer
store, a new 4200m2 Coles
store, in a new location near the former BI-LO
, with the existing store shell being reconfigured with space for two new minor anchor stores, as well as providing increased retail space for Target
, which will increase from 6884m2 to 8368m2. Four new minor anchor retail spaces will also be constructed, as well as 114 new specialty store spaces and 1500 new car parking spaces, with new ground level parking surrounding the centre and new rooftop parking above the new mall areas being constructed. Artist impressions and a video fly-through of the expected finish of the centre are available at http://westfield.com.au/fountaingate/centre-information/development-update
. Scenes in the show are filmed at Fountain Gate, and at another Westfield complex, Westfield Southland.
Fountain Gate Shopping Centre was a filming location in feature film Bad Eggs
, where in the first scene a car rolls into the actual shopping centre. In the film's story the mall is named Crystal Heights Shop Kingdom.
Major stores in the centre include Coles Supermarkets
, Crazy John's
, Dick Smith
, Woolworths, Big W
, Village Cinemas
, Aldi
, Target
and Kmart
. A new Harris Scarfe
has recently opened, replacing Dimmeys. Dick Smith
has also had a full refurbishment. Outside the main centre there are, among others, Harvey Norman
, Officeworks
, Rays Outdoors, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
and Cash Converters
outlets, as well as a fast food precinct. There is also a fitness gym, the local Centerlink office, Casey ARC, a swimming pool complex, and the local library
The Hallam Bypass, a new section of the Monash Freeway
opened in 2003 passes beside the complex and can be viewed from the windows in the food court. A trail known as the Hallam Bypass Trail
constructed at the same time runs beside the centre, on the north east side, providing access for cyclists
and pedestrian
s.
Narre Warren, Victoria
Narre Warren is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 42 km south east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Narre Warren had a population of 25,667. Narre Warren has a population density of over 2000 people per square...
in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has approximately 324 stores which makes it the 13th largest in Australia by number of shops and is the largest shopping centre in Victoria which does not feature a full line department store.
History
Initially opening in November 1970, the centre was reconstructed and re-opened on 11 March 1980 by the Victorian Governor of the time, Henry WinnekeHenry Winneke
Sir Henry Arthur Winneke AC, KCMG, KCVO, OBE, KStJ, QC was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and Governor of Victoria.- Early life and career :...
, with a Kmart and Coles New World being the major tenants. In September 1988, the adjacent homemaker centre opened. The centre was later purchased by the Westfield Group in July 1995 and was eventually extended and redeveloped into a much larger complex, which was completed by November 2001. The centre hosts a variety of major chains including Kmart
Kmart Australia
Kmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
, Coles
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
, Woolworths, Big W
Big W
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
, Target
Target (Australia)
Target Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian department store chain owned by Wesfarmers . It operates 172 Target stores and 119 Target Country stores making 291 combined stores with its head office located in North Geelong, Victoria. It sells clothing, cosmetics, toys, homewares, electrical and...
, Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
and approximately 320 specialty stores.
One of the major drawcards of the centre is the entertainment precinct known as The Street. This precinct features a number of entertainment stores, book stores, cafes and a Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas is an Australian cinema chain. Its Australian sites are owned and operated by Village Roadshow-Amalgamated Holdings Limited joint venture Australian Theatres. The group has rebranded several of its premier Australian and New Zealand cinemas as Event Cinemas since 2009. Village...
.
It is the location of the first ever Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme is the name of an international chain of doughnut stores that was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The parent company of Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc...
in Victoria.
2011 development
Under an agreement made in 2003, David JonesDavid Jones Limited
David Jones Limited , colloquially known as DJs, is a high-end Australian department store chain.David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh immigrant, and is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating department store in the world still trading under its original name. It...
was set to open a store at the centre between 2008 and 2012, of a size of approximately 12,500 sq.m. David Jones had flagged that the store will open in 2011 as part of their 4 year plan. However in July 2010, they managed to escape the contract, with Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
being announced as the replacement tenant. They will build a 12,000 sq m store, construction commencing in 2011 for completion by late 2012. David Jones had been trying to get out of the contract since 2003 as Fountain Gate did not fit the company's strategy or target demographic. David Jones will get their money back, which was around $13 million (adjusted with inflation)
Since late 2010, construction on a new major extension, the first since 2001, is in progress. Approved by the City of Casey
City of Casey
The City of Casey is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Casey is Victoria's most populous municipality, with a 2006 census population of 214,960. The municipality's population growth rate during both 1996-2001 and 2001-2006 was...
in December 2007, the extension will feature a new two level 12,000m2 Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
store, a new 4200m2 Coles
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
store, in a new location near the former BI-LO
BI-LO
BI-LO is the name of several different supermarket chains around the world:* BI-LO * BI-LO in the southeastern United States* For the Bi-Lo franchise in the northeastern United States, see Penn Traffic...
, with the existing store shell being reconfigured with space for two new minor anchor stores, as well as providing increased retail space for Target
Target (Australia)
Target Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian department store chain owned by Wesfarmers . It operates 172 Target stores and 119 Target Country stores making 291 combined stores with its head office located in North Geelong, Victoria. It sells clothing, cosmetics, toys, homewares, electrical and...
, which will increase from 6884m2 to 8368m2. Four new minor anchor retail spaces will also be constructed, as well as 114 new specialty store spaces and 1500 new car parking spaces, with new ground level parking surrounding the centre and new rooftop parking above the new mall areas being constructed. Artist impressions and a video fly-through of the expected finish of the centre are available at http://westfield.com.au/fountaingate/centre-information/development-update
In popular culture
Fountain Gate Shopping Centre is named as the mall frequented by the characters in popular television series Kath & KimKath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
. Scenes in the show are filmed at Fountain Gate, and at another Westfield complex, Westfield Southland.
Fountain Gate Shopping Centre was a filming location in feature film Bad Eggs
Bad Eggs
Bad Eggs is a 2003 Australian comedy movie, written and directed by Tony Martin. It stars Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin and Judith Lucy, with Alan Brough, Bill Hunter, Marshall Napier, Nicholas Bell, Steven Vidler, Shaun Micallef, Robyn Nevin, Brett Swain, Denis Moore and Pete Smith having supporting...
, where in the first scene a car rolls into the actual shopping centre. In the film's story the mall is named Crystal Heights Shop Kingdom.
Stores
Fountain Gate has 326 individual stores.Major stores in the centre include Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
, Crazy John's
Crazy John's
Crazy John's is a mobile phone retail chain in Australia started by late Turkish/Australian businessman John Ilhan. Crazy John's is the largest independent phone retailer in Australia, employing more than 700 people with over 120 retail stores. Following his death, Mr Ilhan's wife Patricia sold...
, Dick Smith
Dick Smith Electronics
Dick Smith is an international electronics retailer, founded in 1968 by Richard "Dick" Smith. Today, it is a subsidiary of Woolworths Limited, incorporating Tandy, and the remaining Dick Smith Powerhouse Stores...
, Woolworths, Big W
Big W
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
, Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas is an Australian cinema chain. Its Australian sites are owned and operated by Village Roadshow-Amalgamated Holdings Limited joint venture Australian Theatres. The group has rebranded several of its premier Australian and New Zealand cinemas as Event Cinemas since 2009. Village...
, Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, Target
Target (Australia)
Target Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian department store chain owned by Wesfarmers . It operates 172 Target stores and 119 Target Country stores making 291 combined stores with its head office located in North Geelong, Victoria. It sells clothing, cosmetics, toys, homewares, electrical and...
and Kmart
Kmart Australia
Kmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
. A new Harris Scarfe
Harris Scarfe
Harris Scarfe Department Stores was founded in Adelaide, South Australia in 1849. At its peak, Adelaide was home to several major South Australian department stores , of which Harris Scarfe is the sole...
has recently opened, replacing Dimmeys. Dick Smith
Dick Smith Electronics
Dick Smith is an international electronics retailer, founded in 1968 by Richard "Dick" Smith. Today, it is a subsidiary of Woolworths Limited, incorporating Tandy, and the remaining Dick Smith Powerhouse Stores...
has also had a full refurbishment. Outside the main centre there are, among others, Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
, Officeworks
Officeworks
Officeworks is a chain of Australian office supplies stores which was established in the early 1990s by Coles Myer...
, Rays Outdoors, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme is the name of an international chain of doughnut stores that was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The parent company of Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc...
and Cash Converters
Cash Converters
Cash Converters International Limited is a worldwide pawnbroking franchise company. They also offer small financial loans to people. -Australia:Cash Converters International is a franchised retail network listed on the ASX and London Stock Exchange....
outlets, as well as a fast food precinct. There is also a fitness gym, the local Centerlink office, Casey ARC, a swimming pool complex, and the local library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
Transport
Narre Warren railway station is approximately 1 km away from the centre and is linked by a number of bus routes to Westfield Fountain Gate. Some regional buses also stop at Fountain Gate.The Hallam Bypass, a new section of the Monash Freeway
Monash Freeway
Monash Freeway is an urban freeway in Victoria, Australia linking Melbourne's CBD to its southeastern suburbs and the Gippsland region. The entire stretch of the Monash Freeway bears the designation...
opened in 2003 passes beside the complex and can be viewed from the windows in the food court. A trail known as the Hallam Bypass Trail
Hallam Bypass Trail
The Hallam Bypass Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians running along the Hallam Bypass between Doveton and Berwick in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The trail was completed in 2003.-Route:...
constructed at the same time runs beside the centre, on the north east side, providing access for cyclists
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
and pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s.