Residents of Albion Park and surrounds who have been calling for more facilities to support the growing population have got their wish, with the area set to receive a new village centre.
Lendlease and Revelop this week announced the development application approval for the Calderwood Village.
The circa $50 million village centre has been greenlit for construction at Calderwood Valley, near Albion Park.
It will be located in developer Lendlease’s $380 million Calderwood Valley masterplanned community, while Revelop owns and will develop the village centre.
Upon expected completion in mid-2024, the village centre will include a childcare centre, large format medical and allied health facility, gym and 800 square metre swim school.
It will also include a 7500 square metre neighbourhood shopping centre, which is already 90 per cent pre-committed, with Woolworths and BWS as the anchors.
The shopping centre will also offer an alfresco food and dining precinct with more than 20 specialty retailers.
Calderwood Village will sit on the corner of Escarpment Drive and Connection Road, directly opposite the newly opened $20 million Plough & Ale Inn, a 4000 square metre tavern owned and operated by Laundy Hotels Group.
The 18,500 square metre village centre site will also include over 280 parking spaces with EV charging stations.
Construction is expected to commence early 2023.
Calderwood Valley spans 700 hectares, that will provide about 4800 homes for an estimated 12,500 residents once completed.
Shellharbour City Deputy Mayor Kellie Marsh, a resident of Tullimbar, said it was great news “not only for the Calderwood Valley area, but all of Albion Park”.
“The investment of $50 million into this village centre precinct will have a huge flow-on effect for the local economy,” she said.
Cr Marsh said residents living in the western part of Shellharbour City had been calling for these types of facilities for some time in order to meet the growing population.
“I’m elated that Lendlease have listened to the community, because we have a shortage of certain infrastructure in our area, such as medical centres… But also these 20 speciality stores are absolutely wonderful,” she said.
“The flow-on effects for not only Calderwood Valley, but the entire community is a win-win.”
Ranisha Clarke, chief operating officer of communities at Lendlease said their vision for Calderwood Valley is to create a “real community spirit powered by a close connection to fun places to socialise with neighbours and friends, whether it’s a mother’s group at the Sprout Hub, park session at one of the four community parks, or a coffee catch up at the local cafe”.
“Revelop is proud to have accomplished this key milestone in the delivery of this important retail amenity to the current and future Calderwood residents,” Charbel Hazzouri, founder and managing director of Revelop said.
Brendan Crabb
Illawarra Mercury
5/10/2022