\nThe countdown to the completion of stage one is on, and 31 lucky people have the chance to win a Coles gift card through the Armstrong Creek Town Centre Instagram page. Anchor tenants Coles and Liquorland are among the retailers opening their doors to the public on July 29.
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\nDeveloped by Wel.co, Armstrong Creek Town Centre is a sustainable, pedestrianised and vibrant town centre which will foster a sense of community and give residents and visitors a place to shop, live, work and play.
\nCity of Greater Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher said the site would be an attractive \u201csocial heart\u201d of the Armstrong Creek Urban Growth area, and provide a destination for a range of experiences, services, and facilities.
\n\u201cThe town centre will create a sense of civic pride, enjoyment and help create an even stronger Armstrong Creek community.\u201d
\nStage one will service 55,000 people and deliver more than 1000 ongoing jobs for the region.
\nFormer Essendon footballer and Wel.Co managing director Andrew Welsh chose to develop the Surf Coast Highway site into a focal point, not only because of the location to neighbouring estates including Warralilly, Armstrong Creek and Anchoridge and its proximity to Geelong, Torquay and the coast, but also because he had personal connections to the area.
\nAfter experiencing the beauty of the region on holidays, Mr Welsh saw the need for a town centre to link growing suburbs and create a meeting point for community members, a civic centre, and a variety of retailers within an accessible distance to the region\u2019s beaches and attractions.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0
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\n\u201cIt\u2019s a really central hub for future employment, retail and residential areas,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cIf you\u2019re travelling to or from the Surf Coast, Bellarine or greater Geelong area it is a central point for a lot of traffic – to provide an easily accessible precinct on the Surf Coast highway was really important for us.
\n\u201cThe amount of tourists we see traveling to the Surf Coast and Bellarine areas, and with the Port Phillip ferrie services at Geelong and Portarlington, there will be a lot more people travelling to and relocating to the area.\u201d
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\nThe 40-hectare site will accommodate for the region\u2019s growth and in future offer residential, hotel and wellness and medical facilities, a library, cinema and an indoor swimming centre. A train line and station are also proposed for the site.
\nMr Welsh said the site embodied a range of sustainable design and development principals including protecting and enhancing natural and cultural assets, using alternative energy sources such as solar and promoting sustainable construction techniques and materials.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve focused on sustainability throughout, from building requirements, to waste being removed.
\n\u201cWe want to achieve a really sustainable centre for an area that we want to be growing with for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"