Carousel’s $350m revamp reveal
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Scentre Group is set to lift the curtain of its $350 million Westfield Carousel redevelopment at the end of this month, which will feature a new rooftop dining and entertainment precinct as well as an additional fashion mall anchored by David Jones.
Construction works are currently nearing the final stages, and upon completion, Westfield Carousel will pass Lakeside Joondalup as Western Australia’s largest shopping centre, at 110,000 square metres.
The redevelopment comprised 27,500sqm of additional space, making room for more than 60 extra retailers and 20 hospitality operators, with the entire centre to be home to more than 330 retailers by August 30.
The rooftop dining and entertainment precinct will adjoin the second floor of David Jones, as well as the existing Hoyts cinema tenancy, and will feature first-to-WA operators such as TGI Friday’s and Criniti’s, as well as an Asian laneway and an elevated amphitheatre, where patrons can listen to live music.
The rooftop area also features a kids play area as well as iPlay – an arcade game concept Scentre Group has already applied at its Westfield Whitford City redevelopment.
Westfield WA regional manager Chris Barton said the rooftop precinct was the jewel in the crown of the $350 million redevelopment.
“This is going to be the biggest shopping centre in WA, so we’ve had to really listen to customers about what they want and things we know they’re going to want in years to come,” Mr Barton told Business News.
“We want to be more to customers than just a place to shop and eat but a place to come and create memories and enjoy wonderful experiences.
“We’re just four weeks away from opening the doors to our new-look Westfield Carousel. Walking on site it’s exciting to see our vision for a vibrant retail and social destination come to life.”
Mr Barton said customer feedback had pointed to wanting more dining and fashion options.
New retailers include WA’s first JD Sports and Vans stores, as well as a refurbished Hoyts featuring 14 screens and an additional Lux cinema and Lux lounge, as well as Mecca, Seed, G-Star, Sheike, Wheel & Barrow, Endota Spa, Platypus and Bardot.
David Jones will anchor the new fashion mall across two floors and include a range of experiential services according to David Jones general manager, store operations, Ben Webster.
The Carousel store will feature a concierge service, beauty suites, including a spray tanning salon operated by Ella Bache, as well as complementary personal styling services.
An artist's impression of the rooftop facilities.
David Jones will also house a 55-seat Neil Perry cafe.
“WA has always been a growing market for us, we have a strong heritage here and we’ve invested more recently in new stores in Mandurah and at Carousel,” Mr Webster told Business News.
“Online is a growing market, we feel like we’ve got a very strong presence and want to mix that with an in-store experience.
“It’s what our customers are telling us they want.
“And that’s largely why we’re investing heavily in those in-store experiences; the personalised shopping suites, the beauty suites, the concierge services, the parents room, which very few retailers actually do out there.”
Other parts of the redevelopment include extensive greenery, a sky-light water feature and large scale artworks commissioned by local and international artists.
The centre is expected to be completed by the end of the month. Photo: Gabriel Oliveira