Gungahlin residents will get their first look at Marketplace Gungahlin's $60 million redevelopment, which includes the area's first Kmart, when the centre opens its doors on November 24.
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The development is a refurbishment and extension of the existing Marketplace Gungahlin complex, which previously housed Woolworths on one side of Hibberson Street and Big W on the other.
The new centre has expanded onto what was previously an open-air car park next to Woolworths, where construction started in July 2015. The two complexes are now connected via an underground car park.
"There's a two-level underground car park that was also built that accommodates over 500 car-parking spaces and now upon completion there's in excess of 1300 car parks in total for this side and the other side as well," Marketplace Gungahlin store manager Paul Morgan said.
Woolworths has continued to trade throughout construction and the underground car park opened in August, but the rest of the centre will be finally opened to the public on November 24.
As well as the major retailers, the new centre includes an Oliver Brown, Ozmosis surfwear store, Prouds, Boost Juice, Soul Origin, Gelatissimo, Laser Clinics Australia, Bookface, two espresso bars, with the bulk of the extension taken up by Kmart.
It's the first Kmart for the area and Kmart Gungahlin store manager Joe Connaughton said anticipation had been building among locals for the store's opening.
"If we walk out for lunch in our uniform, every single person we bump into, they're like, 'when is Kmart opening? How amazing is it? Can't believe it's coming to Gungahlin'," he said.
"So there's a lot of hype in the local community, which is pretty exciting."
The store is one of their new-look "concept store" designs, with the cash registers in the middle of the store, and the rest of the area split into specific "worlds".
"We broke it into three worlds – we've got our home world, which is all our kitchen, dining, manchester, pets, entertainment; we've got clothing which is all our fashion area, so we've got women, men's, footwear and lingerie; and we've also got our kids world so that's got anything to do with kid-related, toys, kidswear, kids books, sporting, camping," Connaughton said.
Kmart is celebrating opening day with free giveaways, live entertainment and kids activities from 8am on November 24, and will be open seven days a week from 8am to midnight.
