WOOLIES has its sights set on the the former Belmont North Bunnings Warehouse site, lodging plans with Lake Macquarie council for a new full-line supermarket with room for specialty retailers and a bottle shop.
The now empty building was a hardware store, almost a German supermarket and then a vaccination hub through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, a $29 million development application could see it become a daily part of the milk run for Lake Macquarie locals as soon as 2028.
An Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) by LocationIQ said the first full year of trading would be in 2029, with forecast sales of $60.1 million.
More than $43 million of that would go to Woolworths and the other $16 million to specialty retailers in the centre.
"The nature of consumer demand continues to develop and evolve, reflecting social changes within society such as increasing time pressures on working families; population and income growth and the evolution of new retail formats and operators," the LocationIQ report said.
"The design of the proposed development, including a full-line Woolworths supermarket, limited specialty floorspace and easily accessible car parking and Direct to Boot services would be highly convenient for local families who would visit on a regular basis, and therefore help to retain some of the significant spending and visitation that is currently escaping the area."
The proposal would see the supermarket open 5am to 10pm, seven days a week, offering home delivery and Direct to Boot services.
A total of 330 carparks, 18 motorbike spaces and 25 bike spots would be provided for shoppers.
According to the EIA, typically one full-line supermarket caters to 8000 to 10,000 people.
The LocationIQ report argued four to five supermarkets could be supported by the 44,445 people who live in the main trade area.
There are four supermarkets already in Belmont, including a Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and Maxi Save.
The EIA forecasts retail floorspace at Belmont will take the greatest financial hit, at $21.4 million.
Mount Hutton stores would see the second highest impact, losing $15.3 million, with most of that falling on Lake Macquarie Square.
People in the main trade area currently spend an estimated $853 million, which LocationIQ projects will increase to $991.6 million by 2041.
The proposed supermarket is expected to employ 345 people and "would improve choice of location and allow for price competition".
"The development would provide a significant improvement in the range of retail facilities and services that would be available to existing and future local residents," the LocationIQ report said.
The site at 393 Pacific Highway houses an old, disused Bunnings warehouse in an area where the population is booming and demand for retail amenity is high.
A Woolworths spokesman previously told the Newcastle Herald the supermarket giant believed the site could be better used to service the community.
"... so we're currently seeking the views of surrounding residents on ideas for the site," he said.
"This includes seeking feedback on a full-line supermarket, a range of retail services and home delivery and direct-to-boot options.
"We will work with the council and the local community as these plans develop further over the coming months."
Bunnings operated at the site until it moved to a new $90 million facility at Bennetts Green.
The site went on the market earlier this year, listed for sale with James Wilson and Ben Wilkinson of Colliers on behalf of owners, Bunnings Property Management Ltd.
On March 22, it was sold to Woolworths Group company Fabcot Pty Ltd for $20.5 million.
In 2019, German supermarket giant Kaufland was reportedly eyeing off the site as the home of its first store in Newcastle. Kaufland exited the Australian market in early 2020 before opening any stores.
The former Bunnings site later operated as a mass COVID-19 vaccination hub and employed more than 300 staff members.
The hub delivered about 244,000 vaccinations to adults and almost 30,000 to children in less than a year, before it shut down in 2022.
