JOINT venture partners QIC GRE, MAB Corporation and Gibson Property Corporation have started work on Merrifield City, a retail-led town centre for Victoria’s largest mixed-use master planned community.
Located in the heart the 900-hectare Merriefield master planned community in Mickleham, 30km from Melbourne’s CBD, Merrifield City will become the major retail and lifestyle hub for the region.
QIC GRE director – investment management Australia, Daryl Stubbings said Merrifield is one of Australia’s fastest growing communities.
“Once complete, Merrifield will be home to over 8,000 dwellings and, with a dedicated business park, create more than 30,000 jobs, providing us with confidence that our new community will embrace our long-term plan to deliver a best-in-class major town centre.
“The first stage of the vision for Merrifield City will be dynamic and convenience-based, focused on food and essential offers that service people day and night, as well as introduce the region’s first supermarket, Coles,” he added.
Merrifield City will ultimately cover an area of 30ha and service a community that is forecast to increase by almost 470% during the next two decades, taking the expected population to over 140,000 by 2031. Retail spend for the growth corridor is also projected to rise substantially to circa $2.7 billion by 2036.
The first stage includes 6,700 sqm of retail space comprising Coles, two mini-majors and 19 speciality retailers, as well a 350 vehicles car park and a kid’s play zone.
MAB managing director Andrew Buxton said the commencement of construction represents Merrifield’s rapidly expanding residential and business community.
“The commencement of Merrifield City further signifies our commitment to ensuring the early delivery of major infrastructure, amenities and important services for the Merrifield community, as per our ‘Merrifield Promise’,” Buxton said.
With stage one works already underway, Merrifield City is expected to open its doors to the community in late-2020.
