A STRONG crowd of about 50 businesspeople gathered last Wednesday night to hear Cardinia Shire chief executive Garry McQuillan talk about the future of shopping in Pakenham.
An $80 million retail hub was high on the agenda at the Pakenham Business Group meeting, where Mr McQuillan previewed floor plans for the highly anticipated development and traders grilled him about parking provision during its construction.
The council will soon sign the heads of agreement for the hub, which will feature a Woolworths supermarket and Big W department store.
The development is expected to create employment for about 700 people, including 200 during its construction.
Mr McQuillan said it would be the only shopping complex south-east of Chadstone to boast underground parking – a real drawcard for shoppers.
“You’ve got an option to go to Cranbourne, Warragul or even Fountain Gate – it’s hot, it’s wet; it’s a real attraction to come to Pakenham,” he said.
The centre will provide about 870 car spaces in total; however traders were concerned about parking in the interim.
Speaking after the meeting, PBG president Michael Porter said the council “needed to get it right” when providing temporary car parking to ensure existing business weren’t adversely affected by the hub’s construction.
The Pakenham Library will close for a week from 6pm this Friday (14 August) as it is relocated to portables at PB Ronald Reserve to make way for the retail hub.
The PBG will hold its committee meetings on usual fourth Monday of the month, before its AGM in October.
