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Gungahlin Town Centre will be different to other Town Centres in Canberra...

The Gungahlin Town Centre is proposed to be different to the other Town Centres across the ACT.  As such, Gungahlin Town Centre is not planned to have the vast shopping complexes, nor the taller office buildings found in Civic, Woden and Belconnen.  Instead, the Gungahlin Town Centre is to be a “modern urban village” with the proposed commercial development being six major complexes along either side of Gungahlin's main street (Hibberson Street).

 

The model for the Gungahlin Town Centre was developed in consultation with the local community. The design reflects the community's preference for a Town Centre that was different from other shopping centres in Canberra. A feature of this difference being it has the potential to actually attract shoppers away from other areas of the ACT, and to establish Gungahlin as a truly unique shopping alternative.

 

A vital part of Gungahlin Town Centre will be mixed-density housing in the town centre core, creating a true urban village. Town houses, apartments and terrace-style houses will offer attractive lifestyle choices. With round-the-clock services available, the town centre will be alive 24 hours a day.

 

Currently at the Gungahlin Town Centre, shops open onto streets, major anchor businesses are set behind them. Small offices, agencies and personal services are at first floor level. Ancillary services (clubs, fast food outlets and community facilities) are within easy walking distance.

 

Future Developments Three major mixed use developments sites, (adjacent to the Gungahlin Marketplace) are being developed which will deliver a Big W Discount Department Store, a Coles Supermarket and an Aldi store, as well as a great deal of specialty retail, commercial space and residential apartments. All of these developments are unique, exhibiting high quality design and exceptional urban form. It is a huge vote of confidence in the Town Centre to get such a successful outcome at this stage of the Town Centre's development. With these developments the amount of retail and commercial space in the Town Centre will triple. All three developments expect to be open by Christmas 2005. Also, a site allowing for the development of bulky goods retailing was released in 2004. A site is also being developed that will provide locals with an indoor sport and recreation centre.  This development is on the corner of Hibberson St and Gozzard St. The site is approximately 10,000m2 and will allow for a range of uses. Within the Town Square (to its south) there would be a Community Centre building.  In other Town Centres this feature has generally been constructed as a “Churches Centre” but often lacks a true central location.  To give the building a true community focus this building could perhaps incorporate a new home for the library (on the scale of Belconnen, Woden or Tuggeranong to meet the expected 100,000 population of the  area), a small convention centre,  meeting hall, theatre and/or public exhibition space. There is no reason why this building could not be a multi-storey, multifunction building.  Careful design of this building  could provide a stage or amphitheatre. An example of where this effect has already been achieved in Canberra can be found in the Civic Square between North and South buildings with gentle flight of steps up to the Playhouse and Canberra Theatre.

	The Town square is proposed to the immediate south east of the existing Woolworths Supermarket complex, utilising portions of blocks 13 and 14. Additional land  to the south – blocks 32,33,35 and 39,40,42 (currently proposed for Apartments/Mixed use) would also be utilised to ensure that the core town centre building development is an equivalent size to what has already been initially proposed. A portion of block 37 (median strip for the southern extension of Gungahlin Place) will also be incorporated into the Town Square development. The square should be of a comparable size to Garema Place in Civic. This will ensure that the square has an appropriate sense of  importance, place and space. This will also ensure that the central portion of the square can support multiple uses: including but not limited to restaurants, cafés,  public gatherings, open air concerts, exhibitions, “market” use, significant tree vegetation, public amenities and potentially a water feature or monument as deemed appropriate. It is anticipated that the main buildings around the town square will be a true “mixed use”– combining retail, office and residential uses. At ground level there will be the shops (ranging from boutique to department store size), restaurants and cafés.  Above ground level the first floor (and potentially second floor) should support both commercial and government office space. Small internal arcades at ground level (similar to that as found in Manuka) could also front onto the square giving suitable ingress and egress for offices on upper floors.  Further above the office space to a maximum of no more than four stories there should be apartment accommodation.  The apartments overlooking the town square will offer security at night. When completed, the Gungahlin Town Centre will become one of Canberra's truly memorable developments.

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The information above was complied from various sources including the Gungahlin Land Development Agency and The Gungahlin Equality Party.

Photographs of the developments at the Gungahlin Town Centre were taken on 25 March 2005.  Photos will be updated as development continues, so please visit again soon.

For more detailed information on the developments occurring at the Gungahlin Town Centre please visit the following web sites:

Land Development Authority

Gungahlin Equality Party

Please Note:  The information contained on this web page is designed for general information only.  While every effort has been made to ensure this information is up to date and accurate, we cannot guarantee it.  If you believe any of the information is incorrect please Email us and we will happily amend it.