Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre

Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre

Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre Logo
Location	Forest Hill, Victoria, Australia
Opening date	30 June 1964
Developer	Pacific Shopping Centres
Management	Colonial First State Global Asset Management
Owner	Colonial First State Global Asset Management
No. of stores and services	204 (prior to level 3 redevelopment)
No. of anchor tenants	7 major 10 minor
Total retail floor area	64,935 m2 (698,950 sq ft) (prior to level 3 redevelopment)
Parking	~3400
No. of floors	3
Website	www.foresthillchaseshopping.com.au

Entry 7 to the centre (the food court entry) from Mahoneys Road looking west.

View of the 3 levels of Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre looking east, prior to the level 3 redevelopment.

The interior of Hoyts cimema auditorium 4 before refurbishment.

The previous Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre logo. The typeface was used from 1989 until November 2007.

Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre is a major regional shopping centre located in the eastern suburb of Forest Hill in the city of Melbourne, Australia. Owned and managed by Colonial First State Retail Property Trust, the centre is among the oldest in Victoria, opening on 30 June 1964 as an outdoor strip shopping centre, before being developed over the years into its current three level indoor form. Currently, Forest Hill Chase contains 204 stores and 3388 free car parking spaces. The centre has two supermarkets, two discount department stores and one traditional department store spread across 3 levels. The architecture is distinguished by a roof of polycarbonate construction with a barrel vault design.

Recent history

In December 2004, Melbourne businessman Maurice Alter sold the Forest Hill Chase shopping centre to listed retail property trust CFS Gandel, managed by Colonial First State Property, for $214.5 million.

The sale was close to being the largest national (Australian) retail property deal of the year and which included property management rights and the potential for redevelopment.

At the time of purchase, Colonial First State Property fund manager Bevan Towning ruled out any immediate major redevelopment plans, saying the intention was to change the centre's retailing mix by introducing the same national brands it had at its other shopping centres, Chadstone and Northland. They also wanted to revitalize the centre and give it a "New look."

The 64,935 square metre Forest Hill Chase was the first shopping centre built in Victoria by Mr Alter's group, Pacific Shopping Centres, with George Herscu, in 1964.

2007-2010 major redevelopment

In the biggest redevelopment of the centre since 1989, levels one and two of the centre were completely refurbished in 2007 while the third level was expanded and refurbished during the second half of 2010. Major milestones of the redevelopment program, which started in December 2006, are as follows:

• The Relocation of Kmart Tyre and Auto Service from next to the centre entrance to the former Kmart, to a new free standing site in Pacific Way, which was completed in March 2007.
• The refurbishment of the level one and two interior malls, with new floor tiling laid, removal of the traditional gold balustrades with modern steel balustrades installed, and the removal of the stairwells at the south of the centre near Big W.
• The level two toilets were fully refurbished, completed in June 2007.
• The Mahoneys Road entrance was upgraded, with the existing canopy replaced and upgraded with a terrace installed on level 3 for use by The Chase Hotel, which was completed by June 2007.
• Kmart's permanent closure on 31 January 2007 and subsequent conversion to a Target, which opened in September 2007.
• The refurbishment and extension of the food court, completed in September 2007.
• The refurbishment of level 3 to complement the work undertaken on the lower levels, completed in December 2010.
• The creation of a new mall entry on level 3, completed December 2010.
• The addition of 300 more car parks, opening on 15 December 2010.
• Creating a new 'Entertaining and Dining' precinct on level 3, completed in December 2010, with the remaining retailers opening in early 2011.

Retailers

Major anchors

• Target discount department store. (Opened September 2007. ~7,700 m² (83,000 sq ft).)
• Big W discount department store. (Opened ~1998. 6,697 m² (72,090 sq ft).)
• Coles supermarket. (4,127 m² (44,420 sq ft).) - 14 Aisles
• Woolworths supermarket. (Currently trading as Safeway. 3,775 m² (40,630 sq ft).) - 11 Aisles
• AMF 28 lane ten-pin bowling centre. (Opened ~2003. (2,490 m² (26,800 sq ft)).)
• Hoyts 6 screen digital cinema multiplex. (Redeveloped from a former 10 screen multiplex in 2010. Opened ~1989.)

Minor anchors

• Dimmeys discount department store. (1,858 m² (20,000 sq ft))
• Best & Less clothing store. (Opened 24 November 2010 ~1,100 m² (12,000 sq ft))
• JB Hi-Fi electrical and computer store. (Opened 25 November 2010)
• The Reject Shop discount variety store.
• Priceline Pharmacy health and beauty store.
• The Chase Hotel bar/gaming lounge/TAB.
• Rebel Sport sporting goods store. (Opened 11 December 2010)
• Timezone Video arcade.
• Fit n Fast Health Club/Gym (Opened 21 July 2011).
• TGI Friday's restaurant (Opened 23 August 2011)
• Balsamic

Future Major anchors

• Harris Scarfe department store. (~1989 - 2007, 2012-. Reduced from two levels to one in ~1998, replaced by Myer in 2007, to return to Forest Hill in 2012) 4,700 m² (51,000 sq ft)

Former anchors

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• Myer department store (clothing, cosmetics and homewares only). (~2007-2012) 4,700 m² (51,000 sq ft).)
• Kmart department store. (~1989 - 2007)
• McEwans hardware store. (~1989 - ~2002)
• NewsXPress Newsagency (? - 2011)
• Casual and Country Living furniture store.
• Warehouse Sales electronics and whitegoods store.
• Amber's Playhouse children's play centre (originally known as Run Riot. ~1997 - ~2008)
• Fosseys discount department store.
• Factorie clothing store (originally known as Australian Way of Life)
• Chain Reaction clothing store

Major food restaurants

Major food retailers within the centre include a McDonald's, a KFC, a Wendy's outlet, a Nando's restaurant and a Donut King. A Hungry Jack's is also located exteriorly as a stand-alone restaurant on Canterbury Road.

Trading hours

The standard trading hours for most shops is 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Thursday-Friday, 9:00am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday. The supermarkets however are open from early morning till midnight. Major anchor stores normally have extended standard trading hours. Level three is open till 1.00am the next day from Sunday to Thursday and until 3.00am the next day on Friday and Saturday.

Transport

Forest Hill Chase provides free un-timed parking for approximately 3400 vehicles and is serviced by 4 bus routes and taxis.

Parking

Adjoining the centre are several multideck carparks. A three deck car park is located off Canterbury Road while a four deck car park is located off Pacific Way to the east of the centre, adjacent to Coles, Target and Hoyts. 300 car parks are located on the level three deck of this car park, providing rooftop parking for level three access. Another two deck car park is located off Pacific Way to the south of the centre which services Myer, Safeway and Big W. Basement parking directly beneath the centre can be accessed from Glebe Street or Mahoneys Road. Three open-air car parks exist around Kmart Tyre and Auto, the Big W Garden Shop and adjacent to the Pacific Way/Mahoneys Road roundabout.

Public transport

Forest Hill Chase is directly serviced by SmartBus route 703 services operating on the deviation as well as 3 regular bus routes (735, 736, 765), with bus stops located outside at the southern side of the centre at the entrance to the market area of the centre. Taxis can also be accessed from this area.

External links

• Official Website
• Colonial First State Shopping Centre Profile