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Edition 5 - April 2020
08, April 2020PROJECT UPDATE: GREEN LIGHT FOR ALBION EXCHANGE
For those of you who missed the fanfare earlier this year, we are excited to share that Stage One of Albion Exchange has received development approval from Brisbane City Council. The entire Geon team is delighted with the news, and pleased we are one step closer to bringing this city-shaping project to life. We are […]
08, April 2020PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO CONTINUES TO GROW
2019 saw Geon undertake a renewed focus on its Property Management & Leasing, with the company adding four new properties to its management portfolio – taking the total to over 60,000 square metres of space and 200+ tenants under management. This year we’re looking towards continued growth – for both retail and commercial assets across […]
- 08, April 2020
PROJECT UPDATE: EXCITING PLANS FOR EARLE PLAZA
The team at Geon has been working hard to finalise plans for a new and improved Earle Plaza, a busy neighbourhood centre at Nerang, on the Gold Coast. The significant potential of this site – situated in the high-growth Nerang catchment area – drove the decision to undertake a major redevelopment, with a view to […]
- 08, April 2020
PROJECT UPDATE: RIVERWAY PLAZA
Construction at Riverway Plaza – a Woolworths-anchored neighbourhood centre in south-west Townsville – is well underway, with a high level of activity visible on site. Local contractor Phoenix Constructions is carrying out this first stage of works, which includes the construction of a new larger Woolworths, space for specialty stores, an amenities centre, a new […]
- 08, April 2020
OUR PEOPLE: GEON WELCOMES TRACEY MARTIN
We have an exciting ‘first’ to announce as we welcome Tracey Martin – our first Townsville-based employee – to the team. As Geon’s North Queensland Property Manager, Tracey will oversee all projects and managements in the region. With so much happening in Townsville, we are absolutely delighted to have someone as experienced and capable as […]
Edition 4 - December 2019
- 05, December 2019
PROJECT UPDATE: ALBION EXCHANGE
After submitting revised plans for Stage One of Albion Exchange in August this year, and following ongoing consultation with State and Local Government, we are now awaiting development approval for Stage One – which is expected by the end of the year. Revised plans for Stage One retained the strong vision for Albion Exchange, with […]
- 05, December 2019
SERVICE UPDATE: PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & LEASING
Property Management & Leasing 2019 has seen significant growth for Geon’s Property Management & Leasing team and we are excited to announce that we now have over 60,000 square metres and 200+ tenants under management across properties in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville. Geon is proud to offer property management services that are guided […]
- 05, December 2019
SPOTLIGHT ON RETAIL IN TOWNSVILLE
Fairfield Homemaker Centre An expansion of large format retail precinct, Fairfield Homemaker Centre, is on the cards for 2020, with plans to introduce leisure, recreation and additional retail tenancies. After being hit by the devastating floods earlier this year, these new additions are set to revitalise not only the centre itself, but the surrounding area. […]
CLOSE05, December 2019SPOTLIGHT ON RETAIL IN TOWNSVILLE
Fairfield Homemaker Centre
An expansion of large format retail precinct, Fairfield Homemaker Centre, is on the cards for 2020, with plans to introduce leisure, recreation and additional retail tenancies. After being hit by the devastating floods earlier this year, these new additions are set to revitalise not only the centre itself, but the surrounding area.
Expansion plans include a bowling alley, climbing facility, cinema and dining facilities – shifting the centre’s focus from solely large format retail, to a blend of retail and entertainment offerings. Development Manager Tim Rossberg said the future centre will be a real ‘destination’, and able to attract a wider range of visitors, around the clock. Development approval is expected in early-2020, with construction to begin shortly thereafter.
Riverway Plaza
To kick off construction at Riverway Plaza – a Woolworths-anchored neighbourhood centre in south-west Townsville – Geon held a Smoking and Blessing Ceremony, performed by the Wulgurukaba Walkabout Group, the traditional owners of the land. Following the ceremony, we were delighted to host Mr Aaron Harper MP, Member for Thuringowa, and Councillor Mark Molachino for the site’s sod turn.
The first stage of works will include the construction of a new larger Woolworths, space for specialty stores, an amenities centre, a new carpark and a drive-through food and beverage outlet. With construction work now underway, we expect the new Woolworths to open in late-2020, with the remainder of the works to be completed in 2021.
- 05, December 2019
PROJECT UPDATE: WESTSTATE PRIVATE HOSPITAL
It’s all systems go for the Weststate Private Hospital in central Townsville, with construction due to commence in 2020. The $60 million project will see the transformation of Townsville’s West End State School heritage building into a state-of-the-art private hospital. While this project update has been a long time coming, the Planning and Environment Court […]
CLOSE05, December 2019PROJECT UPDATE: WESTSTATE PRIVATE HOSPITAL
It’s all systems go for the Weststate Private Hospital in central Townsville, with construction due to commence in 2020. The $60 million project will see the transformation of Townsville’s West End State School heritage building into a state-of-the-art private hospital.
While this project update has been a long time coming, the Planning and Environment Court has recently given this much-needed project the ‘go ahead’.Weststate Private Hospital will provide significant health services to the Townsville community, including 22 hospital beds, four operating theatres, specialties including orthopaedics, cardiology, urology and maxillo-facial, and additional radiology, pathology, physiotherapy and pharmaceutical facilities.
- 05, December 2019
GEON PEOPLE
We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to two Geon team members that support our invaluable finance and accounts function – Amit and Mikko. Amit Kalwar is our Manager of Finance, IT and Risk and is part of our Senior Leadership Team. With a background in finance and commerce, together with an MBA […]
Edition 3 - June 2019
- 02, July 2019
SPOTLIGHT ON RETAIL IN TOWNSVILLE
Work is about to begin on the Riverway Plaza centre upgrade, with ground to be broken early this month. This major upgrade to the centre is expected to generate up to 250 jobs during construction, with the local contractor Phoenix Constructions targeting 100% local tradespersons. The redevelopment will be undertaken in two stages. The first […]
CLOSE02, July 2019SPOTLIGHT ON RETAIL IN TOWNSVILLE
Work is about to begin on the Riverway Plaza centre upgrade, with ground to be broken early this month. This major upgrade to the centre is expected to generate up to 250 jobs during construction, with the local contractor Phoenix Constructions targeting 100% local tradespersons.
The redevelopment will be undertaken in two stages. The first stage will include the construction of a new larger Woolworths, space for specialty stores, an amenities centre, a new carpark and a drive-through food and beverage outlet. The second stage will include demolition of the existing Woolworths, making way for more specialty stores.
We expect the new Woolworths to open its doors in mid-2020, while the remainder of construction is expected to run until early 2021. Read more about this news in the Townsville Bulletin.
- 02, July 2019
FHC REOPENS WITH SUPER SATURDAY SALE-A-THON
To celebrate being back in business after a mammoth post-flood clean up, the Fairfield Homemaker Centre recently held its Super Saturday Sale-a-thon. The one-day event was filled with huge discounts from centre retailers, in store activities and giveaways, and food trucks. We would like to thank those who came out to enjoy the festivities and […]
CLOSE02, July 2019FHC REOPENS WITH SUPER SATURDAY SALE-A-THON
To celebrate being back in business after a mammoth post-flood clean up, the Fairfield Homemaker Centre recently held its Super Saturday Sale-a-thon. The one-day event was filled with huge discounts from centre retailers, in store activities and giveaways, and food trucks.
We would like to thank those who came out to enjoy the festivities and supported those businesses who have been through difficult times this year.
Beyond the Super Saturday event, retailers in the southern Townsville area have been achieving strong results, with Lincraft Fairfield Homemaker Centre recently awarded the “highest dollars per basket” out of all Queensland stores in May, Tradelink Fairfield Homemaker Centre and neighbouring Bunnings Fairfield reporting sales figures which are exceeding forecasts.
- 02, July 2019
GEON PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & LEASING PORTFOLIO EXPANSION
In response to the demand for retail managers with landlord insight and broader skills in property development, Geon’s Property Management & Leasing portfolio has expanded to include two additional assets in Brisbane’s north: 148 Station Road, Burpengary and Banyo Retail Centre. 148 Station Road is a service station and drive-through restaurant complex with head leases […]
CLOSE02, July 2019GEON PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & LEASING PORTFOLIO EXPANSION
In response to the demand for retail managers with landlord insight and broader skills in property development, Geon’s Property Management & Leasing portfolio has expanded to include two additional assets in Brisbane’s north: 148 Station Road, Burpengary and Banyo Retail Centre.
148 Station Road is a service station and drive-through restaurant complex with head leases to 7-Eleven, Hogs Breath Express and IMO Car Wash. Located in a growing trade area between Caboolture and North Lakes, the centre is exposed to large volumes of traffic from nearby retail, education and government facilities, and from its close proximity to the Bruce Highway.
Banyo Retail Centre is a 5,537 square metre neighbourhood shopping centre located in the heart of Banyo approximately 15km north of Brisbane’s CBD. The centre is anchored by a full line Woolworths Supermarket and supported by 15 specialty stores, providing everyday convenience for the local community.
Did you know?
148 Station Road and Banyo Retail Centre are the third and fourth assets to be added to Geon’s Property Management & Leasing portfolio this year, following the addition of Springwood Shopping Mall and Morningside Central in February. Geon now has over 56,800 square metres of property under management, including 176 tenancies.
Geon Property Management & Leasing, led by Ashley Moffat, offers specialty services across property management, leasing services, property accounting and facilities management. With a strong history in retail and commercial property management across the state, Geon has both a broad tenant network and a proven track record of managing profitable investments.
- 02, July 2019
GEONERGY UPDATE: OXFAM TRAIL WALKER
Following the recent launch of Geon’s wellness program, Geonergy, team members have embraced the focus on health and personal wellbeing by partaking in cooking and nutrition classes, and mindfulness sessions, with yoga and personal training sessions to follow. Geon is excited to announce that it has combined health goals with community support and entered two […]
CLOSE02, July 2019GEONERGY UPDATE: OXFAM TRAIL WALKER
Following the recent launch of Geon’s wellness program, Geonergy, team members have embraced the focus on health and personal wellbeing by partaking in cooking and nutrition classes, and mindfulness sessions, with yoga and personal training sessions to follow. Geon is excited to announce that it has combined health goals with community support and entered two teams in this year’s Oxfam Trailwalker event which took place last Saturday.
Geon team members Ben Griffin, Susan Mercer, Tim Rossberg, Glen Wright and Alejandro Hogan-Griffin represented team “GEONergy” and team “ColleaGEONs” for the 55km hike through gruelling terrain.
- 13, June 2019
SUPER-NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES TO REINTRODUCE A ‘SENSE OF PLACE’ TO OUR COMMUNITIES
Super-neighbourhood centres to reintroduce a ‘sense of place’ to our communities Driven by population growth and changing consumer preferences, the latest sub-sector in retail assets – the super-neighbourhood centre – has the opportunity to reimagine local shopping centres and reintroduce a ‘sense of place’ to our communities. While emerging conceptually in recent years, this asset […]
CLOSE13, June 2019SUPER-NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES TO REINTRODUCE A ‘SENSE OF PLACE’ TO OUR COMMUNITIES
Super-neighbourhood centres to reintroduce a ‘sense of place’ to our communities
Driven by population growth and changing consumer preferences, the latest sub-sector in retail assets – the super-neighbourhood centre – has the opportunity to reimagine local shopping centres and reintroduce a ‘sense of place’ to our communities.
While emerging conceptually in recent years, this asset class is cutting its teeth on the first wave of new developments and centre upgrades as many watch to see whether they’ve got the formula right.
Super-neighbourhood centres
While typically occupying a similar footprint to sub-regional centres, between 10,000 and 25,000 square metres, super-neighbourhood centres bring a different tenant mix and design approach.
Geon Property’s General Manager of Property Management and Leasing Ashley Moffat says super-neighbourhoods have a tenancy mix similar to neighbourhood centres, but with an increased focus on locally curated retail and service offerings aimed at creating a sense of community.
“Super-neighbourhoods provide the core convenience retail people rely on, integrated with a community-focused mix of offerings such as dining and fresh food, entertainment, leisure, essential services and unique local retailers,” Mr Moffat said.
“Beyond tenancy mix, these centres are designed to provide a place for people to come together in an authentic way, and to give the community a sense of ownership over the space.”
Genuine community ownership
While the design of modern centres generally makes room for visitors to come together, socialise or relax, super-neighbourhood centres place greater emphasis on not only providing community space, but also opportunities for people to meaningfully engage with that space.
Mr Moffat said “Depending on the needs and preferences of a community, super-neighbourhoods may include offerings like lounge areas, community gardens and play areas.
“The success of a centre also hinges on achieving the right tenancy mix, with super-neighbourhoods needing to target the right range of tenants – and this can be anything from local and specialty retail, to specific services such as childcare centres, co-working spaces and yoga studios, depending on local preferences and demand.
“Central to giving people a sense of ownership over a space is conducting meaningful community engagement to give people a voice into the form that their local shopping centre is taking.”
Signature neighbourhood style
Successful super-neighbourhood centres will go beyond understanding local demographics, LGA statistics and spending patterns – they will appreciate the geographical surroundings, the history of an area and the identity of a community.
According to Mr Moffat, showcasing the signature style of a neighbourhood may extend to experimenting with a centre’s approach to leasing.
“Unique neighbourhoods might present opportunities to take on untraditional tenants, use spaces differently and offer alternative leasing arrangements such as short-term agreements or shared premises,” Mr Moffat said.
“The design of a super-neighbourhood centre should also be an extension of the local area.
“These centres should work with local amenities and infrastructure, complement the local streetscape and not feel generic or unoriginal.”
The bottom lineSome have tipped that this emerging asset class will outperform other shopping centre classes in the coming years, with categories like food and beverage, retail services and convenience typically performing better than categories such as apparel[1].
Others have commented that super-neighbourhoods have the capacity to deliver higher and more consistent sales through the more stable, regular shopping habits of local markets[2].
Mr Moffat said the heightened sense of community ownership may influence centre profitability.
“We all know that many people like to shop local and support local businesses, but if a community has had input into the delivery of a centre, they may be more likely to support that centre on an ongoing basis,” Mr Moffat said.
“The recent opening of Hope Island Marketplace and the Pimpama City Shopping Centre, both in the rapidly growing northern Gold Coast region, will be ones to watch in terms of how the community responds and how the centres perform financially.
“These particular centres are evidence that developers are looking at the new super-neighbourhood model as a way to deliver high quality, community-centred retail to growing regions.”
[1] https://www.shoppingcentrenews.com.au/shopping-centre-news/comment/super-neighbourhood-centres-will-outperform-market-benchmarks/
[2] https://retailworldmagazine.com.au/super-neighbourhood-centres-will-be-star-financial-performers/
Edition 2 - March 2019
- 20, March 2019
GEONERGY LAUNCH
The prevalence of internal wellness programs is increasing as employers recognise the benefits they provide, not only to individual staff wellbeing but also to the business’ bottom line. The World Health Organisation directly links the success of a business to the health of its workers, stating positive effects of these programs include an increase in […]
CLOSE20, March 2019GEONERGY LAUNCH
The prevalence of internal wellness programs is increasing as employers recognise the benefits they provide, not only to individual staff wellbeing but also to the business’ bottom line. The World Health Organisation directly links the success of a business to the health of its workers, stating positive effects of these programs include an increase in productivity and decrease in absenteeism[i].
With a key focus of Geon’s business being our people, we care greatly about our team’s personal wellness and as a result have developed “Geonergy”. [read more]
Geonergy is a wellness program designed to support our people to be the best version of themselves – both inside and outside of the office. The program has been met with an enthusiastic response from the team and is based on four key pillars:
- Mindfulness
- Yoga
- Nutrition
- Exercise
These elements work in sync to create an all-round approach to wellness and equip our people with the skills to better manage stress and maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The program is voluntary and will run fortnightly comprising a variety of activities including cooking classes, nutrition talks, yoga, team fitness sessions and mindfulness training.
[i] Healthy Workplaces: a model for action, World Health Organization 2010
- 20, March 2019
QUEENSLAND RETAIL EXPANSION
As the demand for innovative retail management grows, Geon’s portfolio has expanded to include two additional Queensland centres; Springwood Shopping Mall and Morningside Central. Springwood Shopping Mall is a fully airconditioned, subregional shopping centre located 20km south of the Brisbane CBD just off the Pacific Motorway. Adjacent to the Springwood bus interchange featuring shaded on […]
CLOSE20, March 2019QUEENSLAND RETAIL EXPANSION
As the demand for innovative retail management grows, Geon’s portfolio has expanded to include two additional Queensland centres; Springwood Shopping Mall and Morningside Central.
Springwood Shopping Mall is a fully airconditioned, subregional shopping centre located 20km south of the Brisbane CBD just off the Pacific Motorway. Adjacent to the Springwood bus interchange featuring shaded on grade and basement car parking, the centre provides great convenience for shoppers.
The centre is anchored by a full line Woolworths supermarket and Target discount department store with 50 specialty stores including EB Games, Flight Centre, Australia Post, National Australia Bank, Millers and Suzanne Grae.
Morningside Central is a convenience based open-air centre anchored by a bustling full line Woolworths supermarket. The retail mix is predominately service-related, including National Australia Bank, medical centre, pharmacy, dentist, deli and greengrocer.
The centre is easily accessible featuring a large, on grade carpark with shade sail protection and bus stops connecting consumers to Brisbane’s CBD. It’s prominent location on the corner of Junction and Wynnum Roads provides high foot traffic and customer exposure.
Edition 1 – December 2018
- 03, December 2018
A DESTINATION OF DISTINCTION
Geon Property has lodged two development applications for Albion Exchange – one of Queensland’s largest inner-city urban redevelopments in recent years. Albion Exchange is set to bring new life to surplus and underutilised land near Albion train station. Submitted to Brisbane City Council in August and October respectively, our stage one and masterplan applications seek […]
- 03, December 2018
IT’S RETAIL ALL THE WAY FOR GEON PROPERTY IN TOWNSVILLE
It is all systems go for retail in Townsville with Geon Property receiving development approval for the new $33m Riverway Plaza and the signing of new tenants for Fairfield Homemaker Centre in Idalia. Riverway Plaza development manager Julia Foster-Massie said stage one of the Manolis family-owned project was due for completion in late 2019 with […]
CLOSE03, December 2018IT’S RETAIL ALL THE WAY FOR GEON PROPERTY IN TOWNSVILLE
It is all systems go for retail in Townsville with Geon Property receiving development approval for the new $33m Riverway Plaza and the signing of new tenants for Fairfield Homemaker Centre in Idalia.
Riverway Plaza development manager Julia Foster-Massie said stage one of the Manolis family-owned project was due for completion in late 2019 with the centre featuring a new 3,500m2 Woolworths supermarket, two specialty stores and a drive-thru fast-food tenant.
Negotiations have commenced with local builder Phoenix Constructions.
With stage one due for completion in 2019, plans are already underway for construction of stage two which will deliver an additional 1600m2 of supporting specialty retail. Stage two is due for completion in mid-2020.
Meanwhile, mixed-homewares retailer Lincraft has opened a 1,000m2 concept store in stage two of Fairfield Homemaker Centre at Idalia, alongside Tradelink and Nutrition Warehouse. Queensland X-Ray and Cyrus Rugs will also join the major retailers when it opens early next year.
To celebrate this major milestone, the centre launched the holiday season with a family fun night on Thursday 29 November. The event included extended shopping hours and instore promotions, food trucks, free entertainment and a visit from none other than Santa Claus himself.
- 01, December 2018
THE CHANGING FACE OF LARGE FORMAT RETAIL
One of the key attributes of our people is curiosity. We encourage every team member to explore, investigate and invest in lifelong learning. In keeping with this spirit, development manager Glen Wright was recently awarded an opportunity to tour Japan after winning the 2018 LFRA (Large Format Retail Association) Overseas Study Tour Scholarship. Here, Glen shares […]
CLOSE01, December 2018THE CHANGING FACE OF LARGE FORMAT RETAIL
One of the key attributes of our people is curiosity. We encourage every team member to explore, investigate and invest in lifelong learning. In keeping with this spirit, development manager Glen Wright was recently awarded an opportunity to tour Japan after winning the 2018 LFRA (Large Format Retail Association) Overseas Study Tour Scholarship.
Here, Glen shares with us three lessons he learnt from Japan’s large format retail and infrastructure landscape.
Lesson 1 – A decline in population growth doesn’t mean a decline in retail
Japan’s population growth rate has been declining since the early 1970s – and the deficit isn’t being made up by significant levels of immigration as it is in some other nations.
Despite these demographic pressures, Japan’s retail economy is growing. According to CBRE, Tokyo has a 96 per cent occupancy rate. After many decades facing a large deficit in tourism, Japan is now back in business thanks largely to travelling Chinese tourists who are contributing to the country’s retail account surplus.
Lesson 2 – Entice shoppers upwards
The floor space demands of international retailers continue to grow but they face increasing restrictions on available space, at least with retail in its current format. Nowhere is this more evident than in Tokyo. However, Japan has adopted “vertical retailing”, and is enticing shoppers upwards by placing food and beverage outlets in top floor tenancies. Watch this space. It may be a sign of things to come in Australia.
Lesson 3 – Concentrating growth around transport hubs does more than finance capital infrastructure
The concept of mobility is one of the important preconditions for urban planning and when it comes to interconnectivity, Tokyo is top of the class. By encouraging private industry and transit operators to collaborate, Japan has facilitated the development of more dense mixed-use areas around transit stations that make a great contribution to place-making and city community building.
