Crowds of excited shoppers gathered at The Glen in Melbourne’s south-east on 1 August, to celebrate the official opening of the final major stage of the centre’s $430 million redevelopment.
The development includes a brand-new indoor-outdoor dining precinct, a two-storey new-format David Jones and the addition of 50 new fashion and lifestyle stores.
Since construction began in 2017, The Glen has slowly expanded to 78,000 square metres of gross lettable area, with more than 250 retailers now dedicated to either fashion, fresh food, beauty, lifestyle or dining.
Co-owner Vicinity Centres Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Grant Kelley said the aim behind the redevelopment was to transform The Glen into a leading destination that would deliver a world-class experience for customers where they could shop, socialise, relax, dine and live now and into the future.
“Our major redevelopment and investment in The Glen reflects the confidence we have in Melbourne’s south-east growth corridor and the Melbourne market more generally, and in creating destinations that would continue to meet the changing needs of our community,” he shared.
Almost a quarter of the centre is now dedicated to dining and fresh food, with more than 50 options available centre-wide.
“We know one of the drawcards of this highly-anticipated expansion is the new indoor-outdoor dining experience which has been designed for foodies and locals alike who love to socialise and eat out with friends and family,” Mr Kelley added.
The vibrant open-air dining precinct boasts more than 10 new restaurants including many cult food brands which are opening in a shopping centre or outside Melbourne’s inner city for the first time, including Chef Jerry Mai’s Bia Hoi, Tina’s Noodles, of Dainty Sichuan fame and iconic Noosa brand Betty’s Burgers and Concrete.
The dynamic new mix of retailers features international brands Innisfree, Swarovski, Superdry and FILA which stand alongside renowned Australian big-name retailers David Jones, Decjuba, Seed, Cotton On Mega and Kikki.K.
Perron Group Managing Director, Ross Robertson, said for the past two years customers and community have been eagerly anticipating the completion of their centre.
“We are proud to offer customers a leading retail and dining destination with sought-after brands and boutiques, and new culinary experiences,” he said.
Approximately 1,150 jobs were created in the project’s construction phase, and an additional 1,200 new and ongoing retail, hospitality and services jobs are forecast to be generated thanks to the redevelopment.
Work atop of The Glen continues on Australia’s biggest residential project being built over a retail destination with 500 new apartments under construction as part of the Golden Age Group, Sky Garden project.
Vicinity indicates that the residential development is creating further 500 jobs throughout construction.
“The final major milestone at The Glen further demonstrates momentum against Vicinity’s strategy to create market-leading destinations, and our partnership with the Golden Age Group for Vicinity’s first residential project to realise value from mixed-use opportunities across our portfolio,” Mr Kelley added.