Cinema planned for St Georges Terrace

CAVERSHAM Property has expanded its development proposal for 100 St Georges Terrace to include a four-level retail arcade and eight-screen cinema complex fronting Hay Street Mall.

City of Perth has approved the new application, which proposes to demolish the Toys ’R’ Us building to make way for the new retail development.

The application is the fourth development proposal to be approved on the site. Last October the council approved Caversham Property’s application for a 27-storey office building with 203 tenant parking bays on the southern portion of the site.

Industry sources have suggested that the property developer has been unable to get the level of pre-committal needed to get the office building off the ground but may have managed to lure one of the major cinema chains into the retail development on the northern portion of the site.

The proposed retail arcade would link the new office tower and St Georges Terrace to the Hay Street Mall and contain 16 specialty stores.  The eight cinemas would be housed in the second and third levels. A glazed stair tower, positioned between the two heritage facades, has also been proposed to act as an intermediate landmark along the mall.  The tower would be illuminated at night and used by cinema patrons.

Toys ‘R’ Us senior manager Sue Perham said the company was aware that something was happening with the building but did not know what.

“They haven’t told us yet. They just have to give us three months notice to find somewhere else,” she said.

“I think we are looking at about September.”

Miss Perham said Toys ‘R’ Us did not have any agreement to be included in the proposed retail space but was in the process of looking for alternative retail space.