Home Focus Pimpama nears completion of first stage with Bunnings set to open

The first stage of the $200 million Home FocusPimpama is gearing up for completion this month as it welcomes the Gold Coast’snewest Bunnings warehouse to service one of Australia’s fastest growingsuburbs.

Bunnings is scheduled to open later this week, supportedby a host of new outlets also underway in the master-planned project which is destinedto become Queensland’s largest home and lifestyle centre.

Once fully developed, Home Focus Pimpama willcomprise more than 50,000sqm with up to 60 tenancies of 200sqm to 2000sqm tomeet rising demand for local services in the Gold Coast’s booming north. Thatrepresents more than a third of the lettable area of Pacific Fair.

The next stage of Home Focus will deliver a3000sqm health and well-being hub comprising a Hype Health Club gym, a chemistand a medical centre with associated supporting tenancies.

Construction will continue into 2021 with anumber of big-box retail tenancies following strong interest in the developmentfrom national tenants.

Work is expected to begin soon on a fuel andfast-food convenience precinct anchored by a BP service station and a Guzman yGomez drive-through restaurant.

Home Focus Pimpama is located off Exit 49 on aprime 25-hectare site bounded by Yawalpah Road and the Old Pacific Highway andoffers prime exposure to the M1.

The pivotal project is being developed by GoldCoast-based company Baycrown Property Group, which has owned the site since2014.

Baycrown is highly experienced in developmentsof this scale, with Home Focus Pimpama the fourth in its portfolio of similarprojects held at Bankstown in Sydney, Carseldine in Brisbane and Melton inMelbourne.

Baycrown Development Manager Greg McDonald saysthe project has struck a chord with national tenants who have identified therapid expansion of the once quiet semi-rural suburb into an emerging urbancommunity.

“This is an area that has grown faster thananyone could have anticipated over the past five years, where retail amenitiesand services haven’t kept up with demand,” said Mr McDonald.

“For many of our tenants, establishing afootprint in the northern Gold Coast is a strategic move aimed at capitalisingon the growth yet to come.”

Pimpama Home Focus is estimated to service anexisting catchment of more than 182,000 people, rising to more than 281,000 overthe next 15 years.

Baycrown has spent $8.5m upgrading YawalpahRoad and the Old Pacific Highway to improve access to the site, including a newroad known as Nexus Drive connecting to the old highway in order to furtheralleviate traffic congestion.

The Home Focus Pimpama master plan has beendesigned by Paul Ziukelis Architects, which has imbedded the site withpedestrian and bicycle linkages, and generous landscaping with capacity toaccommodate 1250 customer car parks.  

“Our plan from the outset was to create avibrant and engaging homemaker centre with a high level of amenity anddestination appeal,” says Mr McDonald.

“The tenant mix has been carefully chosen toreflect this as Home Focus Pimpama will bring together some of Australia’s bestlarge-format retail tenants including electrical, furniture, homewares andadventure outlets, along with smaller convenience-driven tenants including food,medical and fuel, to create a balanced development with lifestyle appeal.”

Baycrown has achieved pre-commitments to morethan 70 per cent of the 27,000sqm first stage of the project in addition to theinterest received for future stages.

“The combined scale and prime location of HomeFocus Pimpama is driving strong interest in this development,” said Mr McDonald

“Now that state borders have opened, we’ve seenincreased engagement with potential tenants looking to take a position in theGold Coast’s growth corridor.”

Baycrown is currently conducting expressions ofinterest for the remaining available space in the first stage of Home FocusPimpama.