Construction on Tipalea Partners’ brand new $40 million Glebe Hill Village retail centre has officially reached completion, delivering the first new neighbourhood shopping centre in metropolitan Hobart in over a decade.
Prominently located at the intersection of the South Arm Highway and Pass Road in Howrah, Glebe Hill Village was constructed by leading Tasmanian contractors Fairbrother over a 15-month period with some 500 jobs generated on-site throughout delivery.
Tipalea Partners CEO Scott Spanton said: “We are thrilled to achieve completion and open Glebe Hill Village –delivering vital new retail infrastructure to Howrah.
“It has raised the bar for neighbourhood shopping in Hobart, bringing high-quality retail combined with variety and convenience to the surrounding community, and it’s been wonderful to see the immense support from local residents.
“The project also delivered a significant boost to local employment at a critical time, generating more than 1,000 jobs throughout COVID-19 and into the recovery phase – including more than 300 on-going jobs within Glebe Hill Village’s retailers.
Clarence City Council Mayor Alderman Doug Chipman said the long-awaited Glebe Hill Shopping Centre was a significant asset for the local community and the city as a whole.
He said: “Not only will this new village provide a vital boost to the local economy, providing job and business opportunities, it will also allow the greater community – from Clarence Plains to Opossum Bay – to enjoy more convenient access to daily necessities, without a lengthy detour, and will build on the fabulous sense of community that is already so palpable at Glebe Hill.
“The village has been designed to benefit the wider community in a range of ways and will provide a significant benefit for the growing area of Clarence Plains, which we predict will grow to a population of more than 20,000 people and become a satellite city in its own right in another 10 years’ time.
“This development will help ensure we have more infrastructure and services in place to meet the needs of this booming area.”
The 5,900 square metre Glebe Hill Village shopping centre delivers a new standard of convenience retail and consists of a full-line supermarket and 18 specialty shops in an air-conditioned mall with 260 car spaces in an expansive, completely on-grade car park.
Fairbrother general manager Paul Ransley said: “We are proud to deliver Glebe Hill Village ahead of schedule and this outstanding result is testimony to our on-going collaboration and partnership with Tipalea.
“Many obstacles were overcome during the construction process with the biggest challenges faced including COVID-19 restrictions along with labour shortages, issues with supply chain and delayed materials delivery.
“I am proud of how the Fairbrother team overcame these to deliver Hobart’s newest retail centre more than two weeks earlier than planned.”
Ransley noted that the centre’s innovative smart-technologies added an extra layer of intricacy to the build with the installation of a full solar array and smart-metering systems.
According to Fairbrother an average of 80 workers were on-site during the 15-month construction timeframe, increasing to 120 when tenancies commenced with an overall 500 workers and consultants inducted to the site.
The Glebe Hill Village app is also operational – representing the first retail centre app in Tasmania and adding to the overall customer experience.
Spanton continued: “We are proud to pioneer retail centre apps in Tasmania and elevate the level of customer service and convenience on offer at Glebe Hill Village.
“The app allows users to pre-order food and book appointments for services in the centre as well as view key data in real-time, such as how busy the centre is along with environmental performance information.”
Glebe Hill Village has already been hailed the most-connected and sustainable retail centre in Tasmania with a suite of innovative Smart-Tech features in addition to the app, including free wireless phone charging and Wi-Fi, real-time air quality monitoring, smart bathrooms that monitor water usage, and EV chargers.
With a strong focus on public art, Glebe Hill Village also incorporates the works of several Tasmanian artists beneath the carpark canopies and within the centre itself.
Local artists Allan Mansel, Tricky Walsh and Tom O’Hern, along with Sydney-based Lara Merrett, were commissioned to transform the retail centre into an engaging and creative space, displaying colourful stories of placemaking and environment.
Tipalea Partners has been investing in Tasmania for over 15 years and Glebe Hill Village represents the third Tasmanian project undertaken by the group.
Tipalea Partners has successfully developed several strong neighbourhood retail centres in locations such as Mackay in Queensland, Pimpama on the Gold Coast, Muswellbrook in the NSW Hunter Valley and Launceston in Tasmania.
These centres have been similar to Glebe Hill Village and focus on Tipalea’s core competency of non-discretionary, convenience-based retail.