Yes, well it is gonna be one huge thing, http://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/aerial_tn.jpg That picture above is just one section of it, while the old Grace Bros is here belowhttp://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/bronte_tn.jpg

This is the old entrance on the corner of Bronte road and Oxford Street http://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/grosvenor_tn.jpg

You can see Nokia Plaza and some other building in the background



David Jones


Since 1976 David Jones Bondi Junction has become an institution for the people of the Eastern Suburbs, enjoying the convenience of a department store in a local shopping centre. Over one million customers have stepped through our doors, queued for fresh bread in the Foodhall, tried scents at the cosmetic counters, and shopped for the whole family at Christmas time.

So nearly thirty years on, it's time for a facelift. We are spending over $ 30 million to improve the function and decor of the store, and to increase the amount of floorspace by 17%.

The shape of the store will slightly change by taking away space in level 1 and adding space to level 4 to achieve four approximately even size levels of shopping.

Wider Aisles and More Space

Aisles will be more defined throughout the store, wider than they currently are, and finished in stone tile. White plaster lined ceilings will lift the space and create a more open and spacious shopping experience, in conjunction with a state of the art lighting system.

Visibility through the floor levels will increase with the installation of a new open well encircling the upgraded escalators.

Other facilities such as the toilets, parent's room, fitting rooms, gift registry and lifts will also be improved to echo the dedication to service that has become the hallmark of a David Jones store.



Stage One - the New Foodhall

Stage 1 of the development will be the construction of a brand new food emporium, which will be built in a new location on level 1. The existing Foodhall will remain open until the new one is complete early in 2003. The size, style and range of produce in our new Foodhall will exceed your most indulgent expectations.

To ensure you receive the very best service, we will have a dedicated team of around 50 staff offering expert culinary advice, demonstrations and tastings. Australian food specialists like Maggie Beer, Barossa Farm Produce, Woodside Cheesewrights, Carluccio's, Byron Bay Cookie Company and Godiva will join us in our new Foodhall, bringing with them a host of delicious fresh food ideas and produce.

So please continue shopping with us as we create a beautiful new store for you. There'll be no other store quite like it.



Community Information


Visitors to and residents of Bondi Junction would have noticed the dramatic changes taking place as we create the new Westfield Bondi Junction. the Carousel has been demolished and excavation has begun, while the demolition on the Grace Bros site is near completion.

The new Westfield Bondi Junction will open in stages, with the first stage comprising of around 150 specialty stores, a new David Jones and Woolworths, opening late 2003, and the fully completed centre with David Jones, Grace Bros, Coles, Woolworths, target, Greater Union cinemas and 3300 car spaces operational by mid 2004.


Sounds really good

Post any thoughts or info here

I subscribe to the newsletter and saw some "never seen" before renderings. I just need access to a scanner and these ones are fairly good.

Love the multiple futurist angles :okay:

http://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/grafton.jpg

http://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/adelaide.jpg

So light 'n airy :angel1::

http://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/grosvenor.jpg

http://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/bronte.jpg

Great rendering:

http://www.westfield.com/bondi/images/centres/aerial.jpg


Now we need some construction pics. :)

Those renderings you posted museumb were it. I didn't notice they were already on the website.

WOW

Looks like it is going to be amazing. But knowing what Westfield architecture is like, I am certain it won't look as good as it does in the pics above. Pitty :(

Originally posted by Aussie Steve
WOW

Looks like it is going to be amazing. But knowing what Westfield architecture is like, I am certain it won't look as good as it does in the pics above. Pitty :(

I don't know... Westfield's latest efforts, at least in Sydney, have been quite respectible, like Westfield Burwood.

Anyway, this development looks quite incredible. Can't wait to visit it when it finishes... This could be the start of something new in American styled Malls in Australia. Design over floor space. A good move in my books :)

unless I said this, they knocked down 2 huge shopping centres and a major carpark and refurbishing and reconstructing the westfiled which is already there


museumb, I don't think I will be getting construction pics for a while, but I could have gotten some demolotion pics, when that was happening they had big machine claws just tear down a huge chunk outta the building.

I'll ask my dad If I can go to his office and gets some of the current site pics (his office is on the 3rd floor of the 11 storey Eastleauges tower (that's around 40m to top);)

Originally posted by fro


I don't know... Westfield's latest efforts, at least in Sydney, have been quite respectible, like Westfield Burwood.

Anyway, this development looks quite incredible. Can't wait to visit it when it finishes... This could be the start of something new in American styled Malls in Australia. Design over floor space. A good move in my books :)

I think the Chatswood redevelopment (completed a year or two ago) is pretty impressive as well. Very cool when you go to the seventh storey (the cinemas) and look down the circular atrium through all the levels!

The Hornsby redevelopment is nice too, especially with the way that it fronts the pedestrian malls, with stores and restaurants opening out from the shopping centre to the pedestrian plaza.

Just like the Westfield complexes in Burwood and Hornsby, as Noonos mentioned at this stage Greater Union will be operating the cinemas (unlike Chatswood which is Hoyts or Parramatta which is Village operated).

I think the renderings above are done by the same company who have done Sydney's Green Square Town Centre's and Melbourne's Victoria Harbour's (where Collins meets Bourke Streets)...

;)

You likey?

Alright, so it's a bad picture... but have we seen an angle like this before? :)

http://projectcentre.net/projects/1901/00935_BJP_Aerial_05.jpg

Kay, how old is that picture?

Cos it looks like it was taken before two or three resid. towers were put up inc. East Leauges and East Gate Gardens...

sounds like it will be a much needed dev! noonas, was the first nokia tower (21storey) built 1976 and the taller one in 1984?

Here is a quick drawing of where the Westfield Bondi Junction development will be - the borders are shown with the red line, and the blue arrows show the three shopping centres that will become the one huge centre.

http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/~afindlay/westfieldbj.jpg

Bondi Carousel and Grace Brothers and its carpark are all being demolished.

The green arrows show a couple of big residential developments that can be seen under construction on the aerial picture. I've put in a couple of pitures I took of the developments a year or two ago when they were still being built.

To the left side of the aerial is "Eclipse":

http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/~afindlay/eclipseuc.jpg

And to the right is the twin towers of "The Tiffany":

http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/~afindlay/thetiffanyuc.jpg

:)

Cullwulla, I think the Nokia Plaza (the taller one) was buit in 77' and the shorter one (Harley Place) I don't know when that was built but I'll check it out.

culwulla do u want me to manage Bondi Junction on Skyscrapers.com?

Fabian those fotos are great!

If you've seen the thread about the dangers of the demolition, the bottom floor goes out to about (this is the part still open) the red line on the right of the carousel. The rest of D.J's (now closed goes nearly the whole way.

Originally posted by Noonos
Cullwulla, I think the Nokia Plaza (the taller one) was buit in 77' and the shorter one (Harley Place) I don't know when that was built but I'll check it out.

culwulla do u want me to manage Bondi Junction on Skyscrapers.com?

Fabian those fotos are great!

If you've seen the thread about the dangers of the demolition, the bottom floor goes out to about (this is the part still open) the red line on the right of the carousel. The rest of D.J's (now closed goes nearly the whole way.

Nokia Plaza was built about 1984/85, and the shorter one is not Harley Place. Harley Place is the tower seen in the aerial that is directly above and across the road from the "Eclipse" site.

I've got a good Bondi Junction shot that I took from a helicopter in 2000, that has most of the 12+ storey towers in the CBD labelled. I'll post that soon.

@Noonos - If you're talking about the Eclipse and Tiffany construction pics, I took those.

Originally posted by Noonos
Cullwulla, I think the Nokia Plaza (the taller one) was buit in 77' and the shorter one (Harley Place) I don't know when that was built but I'll check it out.

culwulla do u want me to manage Bondi Junction on Skyscrapers.com?

Fabian those fotos are great!

If you've seen the thread about the dangers of the demolition, the bottom floor goes out to about (this is the part still open) the red line on the right of the carousel. The rest of D.J's (now closed goes nearly the whole way.

no thats ok noonas, ill get the bondi junction data done to a tee very soon. Ive got all the 20 or so 12st+ bldgs and just gotta get adrresss etc. also you have to 18 to be an editor! doh!!

Ive found some old photos itaken in 1984 and the Nokia plaza hadnt started yet so it must of been 1985. the Bondi Junction plaza i think was built in 1979 when the eastern suburbs railway opened!
The eastgate tower s were built in 1982 also!

Originally posted by CULWULLA
Ive found some old photos itaken in 1984 and the Nokia plaza hadnt started yet so it must of been 1985. the Bondi Junction plaza i think was built in 1979 when the eastern suburbs railway opened!
The eastgate tower s were built in 1982 also!

It is so great when new railway stations open, and they undertake masterplanning for the areas around it and build new high-rise hubs!

Bondi Junction probably had few-to-none of the towers it does today, prior to the 1979 opening of the Eastern Suburbs rail-line!

Also, Edgecliff (another of the Eastern Suburbs stations) got a couple of towers in addition to its super tall thing (whats that tower called again?).

And then there is Wolli Creek! Already there are hundreds of apartments already completed in Meriton's "Sorrento" development (although the towers there range between 6-9 storeys), and piling and excavation are well underway for the 14 and 20 storey "Proximity" towers on the other side of the line! :)

Mascot Station is the next surrounding area to go up apparently - developers have been quietly buying landholdings there, and getting ready for the suburb to boom! :)

WELL! finally a bit of news.

I have permission to go p east leages tower jst across the road at any time and take photos! also my dad took me across to the DX (docment exchange) and theres a window which yo can veiw tthe grace bros site. they've already "laid" the first park floor and have begn to put in pylons for the next parking level.

nearly all oof the bottom floor of DJ's (its getting redeveloped) is finished and the food hall will be open on tuesday. except the conters are made for people like 6 ft tall! bt maybe thatd for health...:?

:)

yet another crane is going up on the grace bros. site! i guess the site is big!

Went to the Bondi Junction site yesterday and there are at least 8 cranes, a mulitude of excavtors and concrete pumps on both sides of Oxford Street.

To read latest info from drop down menu: http://www.westfield.com.au/au/centres/nsw/bondi/

actually BOndi Jct altogether has an amazing 5 cranes up!! i suspect that another crane will be added next to bondi jct plaza

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Noonos </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>actually BOndi Jct altogether has an amazing 5 cranes up!! i suspect that another crane will be added next to bondi jct plaza</td></tr>
</table>
Correction Noonos,
As I mentioned on the previous post to yours, I counted at the very least 8 cranes on both sides of Oxford Strest as all part of the Westfield redevolpment.

Below from the web site: http://www.westfield.com.au/au/centres/nsw/bondi/

BTW A rather small rendering:

_______________________http://www.westfield.com.au/au/centres/nsw/bondi/images/newcentre.jpg

...and foundations - dated 29/01/2003:

______________http://www.westfield.com.au/au/centres/nsw/bondi/images/construction02.jpg

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by museumb </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top><table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Noonos </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>actually BOndi Jct altogether has an amazing 5 cranes up!! i suspect that another crane will be added next to bondi jct plaza</td></tr>
</table>
Correction Noonos,
As I mentioned on the previous post to yours, I counted at the very least 8 cranes on both sides of Oxford Strest as all part of the Westfield redevolpment.

Below from the web site: http://www.westfield.com.au/au/centres/nsw/bondi/

BTW A rather small rendering:

_______________________http://www.westfield.com.au/au/centres/nsw/bondi/images/newcentre.jpg

...and foundations - dated 29/01/2003:

______________http://www.westfield.com.au/au/centres/nsw/bondi/images/construction02.jpg</td></tr>
</table>

u sure? lets see...
2 for grgace bros site
2 for carousel and old westfeild site (BTW carousel already has a core!!!)
1 for Genoa Tower (btw muse did u get any of this? I can see the bases for 2 cores! one in the centre of the site, one near the edge, obbviously for the main tower...
silly me i just saw today that the carousel crane is already up!

I only saw four when I went through the area today! Is one of these cranes actually fairly low?

And I saw from Sid Enfield Drive some appeared to be floorplates on the Westfield Redevelopment site.

Something to follow up on Noonos.

well the carousel crane is farely low...although from SED you would have seen the core and the crane....Did you see the massive grocon crane??

Also on the first westfield redev. site yes i have seen these massice beams put in place and the floorplates....(this'll be done by the end of the year!).

I said it was a floorplate. I even saw the scaffholding that goes on the side when floorplates rise. This was towards the northern end of the site.

The 30 storey tower at Edgecliff - Darling Point, actually (it's so important!) - is Ranelagh, built about 1972/3, designed by Peter Rommel and Assoc. The views are fantastic, the interiors are on the mean side especially the corridors and the living rooms with plate glass on two sides are hell for those prone to vertigo, but the building design is pure El Cheapo Crappo!

What's the relevance of Ranelagh? Was it built near the station or something or is it very tall?

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Fabian </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>What's the relevance of Ranelagh? Was it built near the station or something or is it very tall?</td></tr>
</table>

both. It is across the rd from edgecliff st, and is 97m tall...

bumped so as thread wont get deleted

well, they've progressed fairly well with construction @ the grace bros site, with car park levels and an underground shopping level complete (its really weird, like half the floorplate is built on the site) and the carousel site is just ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMING ahead, floor plates are way high and they've gone unde the road between grace bros and DJs

so, it'll alll be complete buy around this time next year! MAybe a meeet (in ast leauges then go to wat would be a MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIVE foodcourt

Here's a picture of the latest progress on the site taken from atop centrepoint.

Taken by Culwulla

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/509/126bbondi.jpg

The pit looks much deeper in real life.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid70/pdff2a9f01c063ab8159f0bbc604a4f31/fba05860.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid70/p9e9dfc85616fc037537d2cb09df81d7b/fba056c2.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid70/p12a9b5f9a841d70f560a1fb3d7dae7cc/fba05542.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid70/pc06bd933a79b36eec7b6bea30c397caf/fba05452.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid70/pd13f902c25065e7588aa67621cfc70c9/fba05357.jpg

Last pic I had to sign in in some club and walk up a few levels. I then had to walk in between peoples tables and push the curtains back slightly just to get this image.

A few pics from today. Taken from Bronte Road.

The northern side of Oxford Street:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3036/379westfieldconst1-med.jpg


...and the southern side of Oxford Street:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3036/379westfieldconst2_-med.jpg

That pit, dirt and track hoe....

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3036/379westfieldconst3-med.jpg

So when it's all done what's going to be in those 10 underground levels. It's pretty enormous.

well...on the shorter levels they're all caparks! 2,500 car spaces all up!

..and they're gawna need 2,500 spaces.

People will come from all over the eastern suburbs to do their shopping as will easily be cheaper than the likes of Double 'n Rose Bays......and a Greater Union cineplex (8 or 12 screens?) for Tuesday 'n Saturday nights.

Looking very messy at the moment.

I have no idea whats going on.

Originally posted by museumb
..and they're gawna need 2,500 spaces.

People will come from all over the eastern suburbs to do their shopping as will easily be cheaper than the likes of Double 'n Rose Bays......and a Greater Union cineplex (8 or 12 screens?) for Tuesday 'n Saturday nights.

12 screens i believe.... not all 2,500 car spaces will be in that space; it will also be under the carousel part, but its mainly there. Personally, i think 2 and 1/2 isnt enough! considering its gonna be much larger then previous, i think it might have less spaces...not sure though!

ALSO passing Djs site today....exsisting nokia plaza podium wall (which is also djs wall) is being covered in .....GRANITE! looks nice! also all of the eastern part of the project is all above ground now! all on at least 1 storey!

2500 spaces wont be nearly enough. Macquarie shops has something like 4500 spots, and that aint enough on the busy days. we can drive around for half an hour trying to find a spot, but im a sydneysider so im used to spending copious amounts of time in the car.

All I care about is that huge almighty mumaf%$cking amazing hole in the ground.

Possibly the main differnce between somewhere like Macquarie and Bondi Junction is that the former is deep suburban.

Therefore Macquarie = more car dependent. Bondi Junction is definitely well serviced by the bus system and reasonably in the train department i.e. better if the line was extended and/or more trains per hour. Also the eastern subs is very compact and walking and taxis aren't way out of the equation either.

I'm sure Macquarie is serviced by adequate buses too, but not like the likes of a satellite CBD and densely populated area such as Bondi Junction.

2,500 car spaces may still not be enough. Time will tell.

Anyway, leave the car at home :yes:

Originally posted by museumb
Possibly the main differnce between somewhere like Macquarie and Bondi Junction is that the former is deep suburban.

Therefore Macquarie = more car dependent. Bondi Junction is definitely well serviced by the bus system and reasonably in the train department i.e. better if the line was extended and/or more trains per hour. Also the eastern subs is very compact and walking and taxis aren't way out of the equation either.

I'm sure Macquarie is serviced by adequate buses too, but not like the likes of a satellite CBD and densely populated area such as Bondi Junction.

2,500 car spaces may still not be enough. Time will tell.

Anyway, leave the car at home :yes:

Good points.

also!steel has been put in place near the granite pieces! the corner of oxford and bronte sts/rds also has that part up to level 2! I'll try and get some photos soon!

bump so as wont get deleted.

What has been happening as of late?

Originally posted by brizer
The 30 storey tower at Edgecliff - Darling Point, actually (it's so important!) - is Ranelagh, built about 1972/3, designed by Peter Rommel and Assoc. The views are fantastic, the interiors are on the mean side especially the corridors and the living rooms with plate glass on two sides are hell for those prone to vertigo, but the building design is pure El Cheapo Crappo!
It was actually built 1969! I spoke to the manager a few months ago at the foyer. i managed to have a nice chat to him. He was in his 70;s and he said he purchased his unit in 1969. Ive worked out a few significant stats on the bldg!
At 91m/300ft 34storeys high, it was Australia's 3rd tallest residential tower on completion.Sydney;s 136m Park regis and melbournes 92m Park towers were higher built 1968 and 69 respectively.
It was the first bldg higher than 300ft outside of Sydneys' CBD.
It sits at 70m above sea level ,thus 160m above sea level!

http://www.skyscrapers.com/files/transfer/6/2002/11/169672.jpg

Originally posted by Fabian
What has been happening as of late?

WELL, the largest grace bros crane has been taken down! Surprising!

Also, on the carousel section all the floorplates are done and they're puttttting in the steel framework on the northern part of the site, well actualy theyre putting in the glass, the stell was in place yonks ago!

on the westfield area, the floor plates are also all done and are about 5 stories or so high and they've started putting large slabs of granite on the walls!

in the gracec bros section aswell, they have started building the second half and those florplates are up to about ground...ill need to get some pics. if ya dont really get me, they built the northern half first (no idea why :?) and now theyre building the southern part


:)

because the Northern side is half no further excavation and half 4-5 floor excavation. The Southern half is a ten floor excavation on a much larger site.

Southern half is ahead of schedule and should open completely in April. Northern half is behind schedule and should have opened mostly this month but has been scaled back to 20 shops, down from 100. This area isn't even water tight because the light void continues to the top of the centre and they're still fiddling with the top floor of this area. I don't quite get it, I mean the escalators are installed and all.

If you take another shot like the one from Centrepoint you'll notice quite a few changes. And that big crane was dismantled in the past week. Another one slightly larger than it already exists on site though.

Anyhow some diagrams -

1) The site
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/towersofhanoi/m4/westsite.png

2) Excavation, the two halves are to be linked by 5 floors (3 vehicular, 2 shopping) underground and a 2 level (I think) sky bridge. The plaza site already contains 5/6 floors below ground.
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/towersofhanoi/m4/westdig.png

Scaled back?? :rant:

So what is a total number of specialty stores now? I know Westfield originally planned to open around 320.......

Any idea of the profile of future tenants? Maybe Louis Vuitton, Versace, Bulgari, Max Mara, Armani??

320 by December next year at the latest.

Tennant wise I have no idea, remember Double Bay is just down the hill and they'll fight hard to keep what they have in the 'high fashion' and boutique area, who Westfield can attract I suppose depends on who else they can attract and how much it'll cost.

But this is a normal shopping centre too despite what they'd like to say, it has Woolworths, [another] Coles and Target and no doubt every fast food chain in existance too...

Originally posted by hornetfig
320 by December next year at the latest.

Tennant wise I have no idea, remember Double Bay is just down the hill and they'll fight hard to keep what they have in the 'high fashion' and boutique area, who Westfield can attract I suppose depends on who else they can attract and how much it'll cost.

But this is a normal shopping centre too despite what they'd like to say, it has Woolworths, [another] Coles and Target and no doubt every fast food chain in existance too...

Well, Westfield have quite a bit of experience in upmarket shopping centres, due to their huge US portfolio.

They are by far the dominant shopping centre owners in California and have recently acquired the Century City Shopping Centre in LA's westside...they were also trying to get hold of the Beverly Centre in Beverly Hills (but have not been successful so far with their attempted Taubman takeover), which is challenged by Rodeo Drive (as opposed to Double Bay), so they would have undertaken a fair degree of study of this particular upmarket shopping centre class.

They also plan Westfield Bondi Junction as their "flagship" shopping centre! So, who knows what they'll turn out...but I'm sure it will be at least a bit different from what the other Westfield centres offer.

mmm but the United States isn't Australia and the closest they have to this 'black label' Westfield here is Chatswood which is a good deal smaller and a different focus in a way.

They still have to have a functional shopping centre for people to by their general stuff, food, clothes, gifts. They still have to cater for the fact that there are thousands of office and service workers as well as shoppers to feed at lunch hour. They still have to cater for the commuter who stops off on their way home from work.

From the plans I've seen their boutique area of shopping and dining is centred on the former Carousel site on the three floors above ground level and below the cinemas.

It's a bit excessive if you ask me, importing Italian marble to clad part of the centre in and tile the floor. They also had to import a crane to get one big enough!

Originally posted by hornetfig
mmm but the United States isn't Australia and the closest they have to this 'black label' Westfield here is Chatswood which is a good deal smaller and a different focus in a way.

They still have to have a functional shopping centre for people to by their general stuff, food, clothes, gifts. They still have to cater for the fact that there are thousands of office and service workers as well as shoppers to feed at lunch hour. They still have to cater for the commuter who stops off on their way home from work.

From the plans I've seen their boutique area of shopping and dining is centred on the former Carousel site on the three floors above ground level and below the cinemas.

It's a bit excessive if you ask me, importing Italian marble to clad part of the centre in and tile the floor. They also had to import a crane to get one big enough!

Well yeah - I mean this centre is much much larger than centres like Chatswood Chase because, as you said, it has to cater to the everyday needs of the catchment population as well as the elitist shoppers...but even the addition of a more upmarket precinct to the centre is a change for Westfield in Australia!

Maybe it will be more akin to Chadstone, which is similarly huge (a fair bit bigger in fact) and has some very upmarket stores in a particular area, as well as K-Mart, Coles, Bi-Lo etc.

Yeah, this is gonna be the only upmarket Westfield in Australia with a great range of haute couture labels.....:cool:

Can't wait to see it complete - interiors should be amazing plus harbour views from certain areas... :)

I thought the shopping centre was going to have just 150 stores, or did they mean 150 more shops than before?:?

it's 105,000 square metres with not many majors (has David Jones, Grace Bros, Woolworths, Coles, Target. Doesn't have Kmart, Franklins, BigW, BiLo etc.) so it has a lot of specialty stores.

I think before the Plaza site had 80 stores and the Carousel site had 30. Grace Brothers had just itself obviously. 320 - 110 = 210 so that's 210 more than before by my reckoning. So I'm not too sure where you got 150 from, Fabian.


finn, that description sounds similar. I must say I'm rather skeptical of the whole concept, but they have no shortage of money with which to try it.

There hasn't been an update to the official Westfield (http://www.westfield.com/au/centres/nsw/bondi/index.html) website for ages... isn't stage one of this supposed to be opening around about now?

Stage 1[A], in 36 hours.

I say 1[A] because stage 1 was meant to be bigger but something (a small two floor section) is better than nothing in the run up to Christmas.

dont know if ive said this, but they've put up lovely blue glass! *cough* ;)

Also passed site today and the westfield area around d.js ak original westfield was open, so yoiu could see inside. - had a glass awning outside and inside looked VERY nice! not open till tomorrow night and I'M Going! ;) (although thats on d.js

that means you either work for David Jones or you're a Store Card-holder. I don't know how much they'll let you see of the inside of the part of the centre that they're opening, though I suspect it will be either none of it or all of it.

To get into the trading section of David Jones from the car park currently you have to walk through a part of the centre that will be opened but you couldn't see much with chain wire fence covered in hesham to keep you walking and not gawking. Floor polishing tomorrow I'd say will be the key task as well as finalising the temporary entranced on Oxford Street.

Part of the Carousel site part has little bit of a World Tower look to it with very dark graphite-to-charcoal structure and plate glass with a green tinge to it. The site is a rather hodge-podge of different colour schemes in different areas, we'll see how the whole thing comes together in the next three months or so.

I found out that Grace Bros is set to open on April 1 next year and it will be modelled differently to other stores and will also get extended trading hours trading to 7pm on weeknights, 9pm Thursday and Friday and until 7pm on weekends.

I've applied for part time and casual work there as part of getting employment within Coles Myer but I do not expect to get a job offer at the store or elsewhere.

for you to work a Bondi Junction, that's a bit of a hike isn't it?

It's in some ways a response to David Jones keeping longer hours there too: up to 7pm Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri instead of 6pm, and the food hall to 7.30 or something. In other ways it's all part of the insistance by Westfield that they do something different to create this 'Black' Westfield and also help keep the thing alive at night as Westfield wants to try to encourage real nightlife inside this shopping centre.

Noonos was right. It was reopened to the public yesterday. I even have a catalogue which came free with my paper yesterday (SMH).

Tower II has lost its Nokia advertising and is being painted/clad (can't tell) in white?!. . .

The centre is quite interesting - it's in two separate parts: the western part is over part of two floors on levels 5 and 6 (from Oxford Street that'd be LLG and LG), the eastern part is one floor on level 7 (or Ground from Oxford Street, though the levels don't work out perfectly because some are partially ramped and no street is dead level). The two parts of the centre are accessible only by walking either around the construction site or through the carpark, which is joined on three levels. Needless to say there's an army of Westfield staff trying to help the less situationally aware work out where on earth they are, or more importantly, where is their car!

Eastern part of the new Westfield looks groovy already - much better than the rest of Bondi Junction! lol

The upgrade of the Oxford St Mall is almost complete but doesn't make a lot of difference really - the shops around it are so tacky....So is the new Interchange! Nice views from the 'foodcourt' though!

Nokia towers are freakin' ugly and need cladding. I noticed this weekend they actually started to do it - hope both towers will get this 'beautification' treatment! :cool:

I went down there on Sat (I think) and was looking fantastic, the Oxford St level looks coming along prety good to open in a few months.....

Does anyone know how you can get to see the plans??? They aren't on the westfield site or in the centre anywhere.

Cheers

before it began Westfield exhibited the plans in the foyer of Tower I; I doubt they're there now. Similarly Waverley and Woollahra councils and the Ministry of Planning had them available, but no longer.

I suppose you can ask the Concierge, they might know if it's possible. On a more simple level, the website has been updated that shows in general what's going where...

I too noticed that bondi junktions (not junKtion for much longer though) tallest 'nokia plaza' at 93m 25 stories is finallly getting a new shiny white facade! For a tower that was only built in 1985, its aesthetics really did resemble that of a rotten turd...

Anyway this new facade will brighten the place up alot, and will eliminate bondi Junctions biggest eyesore. All they need to do is re-clad Its butt ugly sister 'Bondi Junction Plaza' (80m 23 stories), which actually looks worse that nokia plaza.

The new shopping centre looks unreal, its got some fantastic architecture. I am loving this well overdue transformation of Bondi JunKtion to Beautiful Bondi Junction, which will be one of Sydneys best satellite CBD's in a few years.

Originally posted by SydneyDude
I too noticed that bondi junktions (not junKtion for much longer though) tallest 'nokia plaza' at 93m 25 stories is finallly getting a new shiny white facade! For a tower that was only built in 1985, its aesthetics really did resemble that of a rotten turd...


Plaza Tower II! Cul was going to fix it. knock knock :P

I don't like the white it seems out of place, if they cleaned the concrete it wouldn't be so bad.

Anyway this new facade will brighten the place up alot, and will eliminate bondi Junctions biggest eyesore. All they need to do is re-clad Its butt ugly sister 'Bondi Junction Plaza' (80m 23 stories), which actually looks worse that nokia plaza.

This tower was whiter to start with, as far as I can tell it seems to be a MLC Centre-inspired stuffup. I don't know whether it's meant to be clad once it is cleaned off (the sections that are clean are very noticeably lighter)

The new shopping centre looks unreal, its got some fantastic architecture. I am loving this well overdue transformation of Bondi JunKtion to Beautiful Bondi Junction, which will be one of Sydneys best satellite CBD's in a few years.

Destined to be ugly forever I'd say. None of the towers are particularly noteworthy, (I noticed Meriton has seemingly reused the Tiffany Tower designs in Parammatta too!) all are ugly and there's not much prospect for 30 storey developments in the future (most of the development in the 1990s has been on old open air carparks, they're all gone now. Tiffany Towers are above the Bus/Rail interchange, Genoa is on the League's Club staff/tower carpark and five old shops that were nicely sold together)

I love the look of the tiffany towers!

Each to their own :)

Originally posted by SydneyDude

Anyway this new facade will brighten the place up alot, and will eliminate bondi Junctions biggest eyesore. All they need to do is re-clad Its butt ugly sister 'Bondi Junction Plaza' (80m 23 stories), which actually looks worse that nokia plaza.


It's being painted white as we speak;)

cos none of you go through bondi jct as often as i do..ill tell u what has happened...

GRace Bros Site: This place is all built! welll mostly! just need to be clad and bricked and fitted out..it's actually quite huge!!

Carousel/westfield site: This place is rocking and looking awesome! the eastern end is looking schmick with that funky metallic look(gotta love it) and the northern bit is fucking huge in an understatment lol! Also the SKYBRIDGE has been put in place! apparently a 70m wide skybridge linking two areas! Noticed alot of the walls have been covered in large granite chunks...clever architecture!umm also just outside the inside d.js entrance there is gonna be a massive 5 or 6 level void! :Guns1:

Towers: The nokia plaza is fully clad in a creamy white and looking nice as well as a westfield sign atop...so Westfield Plaza? anyway the other tower is being cld in smae colour (amen) and the southern side is fully done.

Oxford St Mall: Looking a hell of alot better with market umbrellas and such, although the aduly shops and bronka arcade especially dont help lol.

Genoa Tower: Looking Tall! and Green! lol it topped out YONKS ago and you can see some glass through the green scaffolding....though currently the overpowering greenness of it is kinda ugly....cant wait for the blue and white to come in!

Station: They're doing the scalators down onto the platform. One sign says :
"after 28 years of service and travelling 380,000km, these escalators are programmed for their first major overhaul"

Although plaza ontop is looking as meriton and ugly as ever and yeah

Crane Count!: currently only 3 cranes and one temporary...so four (2 and temp for westfield and 1 for genoa....thats down from the 6 or seven they had a few months ago)


Overall, bondi jct is looking better!and nearing the final stages...

Yeah, I drove past Bondi Junction yesterday, and Westfield and associated towers were looking very nice!

I can't wait till they start the $100million Oxford St Mall rebuild and demolish Bronka Arcade! I think the changes and additions to that area (as well as to the Spring St frontage of Eastgate) will absolutely transform that retail area! :)

On the issue of the upgrade of the mall, the council want to start it as soon as possible as to have complete in order for it to compete against Westfield, which is expected to remove alot of trade from the mall.

*cough* the Oxford Street Mall is full of junk shops with a few cafes and services. Waverley Council would be wanting the Mall precinct to compete with Westfield, but in the main, it won't and shouldn't be beneficial to Mall junk shop retailers who really shouldn't be there anyway.

Why is that sort of store attracted to Oxford Street Mall? well apart from the previous poor condition of the Mall, most of the shops [turn of the 20th Century, two level shop + flat arrangements] are in really poor condition and are really small. The Bronka Arcade is also pretty revolting, so its a good thing that it will be going, but it doesn't really fix the problem that redevelopment needs to happen along the entire Mall length. Property prices are very expensive and the depth of the blocks isn't very great. This has limited both the low density (prices make it unviable) the high-density development (land size makes it unworkable) opportunites for the strip. So I'm not really sure what can be done to completely overhaul the strip. This proposal is a good start though.


btw, next stage of Westfield opens March 11[?]; a month late.

Any chance of some pics of the redevelopment? I live out west and I hardly ever get a chance to get to Bondi.

Cheers. :)

PS. Where have you been all this time Noonos?

bumpity bump; Westfield opened the rest of Level 3 shopping (if you use the tower numbering that's level 7) yesterday which finally joins the two disconnected sections already open. It seems they caught shop leasees unaware, with only maybe half the shops actually open, some short on stock, and leaving others to continue their fitout.

Two more floors are still due to open in the next week or two.

as hornet fig said the ground level of westfield opened on the oxford and bronte rd corner..so being me i wandered inside and....
HOLYCRAPSHITDAMNGOD it looks SO damn GOOD!!!! They've opened up most of the voids so they have this AWESOME (and somehow) 5 level void...just like the 8 or 9 level one in chatty.i also went down the walk way to the other westfield entry (the better looking [if possible, it all looks so damn good]entry and you look up and it's like this 30 metre high shed!!!its SO damn cool!!!

Seriously recommending going there and seeing for yourself! The interior architechture is awesome!

Also, the scaffolding for the shorter genoa tower has been partly removed and it looks awesome as well.....:guns1:

put more eloquently, the level opened is a lot like a five star hotel foyer in many ways.

There's even a rotating door. But it's just a pain because it rotates soooo slowwwly and stops every time there's any resistance to prevent it chopping off some kid's arm...

well they're gonna have lotss of nice shops in there! Already they've opened up an Armani...Exchange(i had the difference between the levels of quality explained to me last night) a marcs and a morrissey right next to each other. there's also a fcuk right near it already opened and you can see an oroton and l'occitane (my mum loves that stuff) opening soon. apparently gucci, diesel....all thosehigh class or good jeans shops as well and also on the carousel site if you go down onto (grosvener st i think) you can look up and its this massive 8 storey wall! they've have two levels of balconies for nice restaurants, including a 300 seat chinese restaurant and its all gonna have nice views! it is so dam big, the best way to find out stuff is to go there yourself!

Levels 4 and 5 of shopping plus some Roof-Level 1 parking (that's levels 8, 9 and 10 from the 'old' numbering system) opened today, not that many of the shops were ready though...

Target opened their new store inside the complex yesterday. They are celebrating it's opening by being open until midnight tonight. They also were open until midnight yesterday.

Any pics of yet? Sounds damn nice though :D

I haven't got a camera :-\

Better than opening to midnight (which KMart does anyway) is 10% off everything until Sunday. So funny to see people who have just been shopping at Target go down the escalators to the floor below and window-shop at Armarni or Marcs...

Went there today.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/pbb8922dd3fa84a441fb6aa0ac01468df/f95afb54.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/p30486eac8017e592c024d86432714571/f95afc12.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/pc0d0aec23f824f34dc488d721b11bfc6/f95afcfe.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/p3aa95a1e2cc27c3d7e43ff5dd1fc1dc7/f95afe44.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/pa116ab9bd530072a53eabb2aef2ee091/f95aff28.jpg

Thanks for the pics C_C. Don't like the ceiling though in pic2. WTF?? A shed? I thought this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art shopping centre? Latest design trends and all that... maybe not. Maybe not.:rant:

The elliptical voids looking down to the food hall or the likes is reminiscent of Grace. Bros'....oooops, I mean Myer's Sydney Central Plaza's - which is actually owned by Westfield Trust. What a co-incidence NOT.

Originally posted by fro
Thanks for the pics C_C. Don't like the ceiling though in pic2. WTF?? A shed? I thought this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art shopping centre? Latest design trends and all that... maybe not. Maybe not.:rant:

NOT FINNISHED YET!! lol :)

A recent pic of the Westfield Tower from the harbour. It looks as if it was just built. :)

The smaller tower is being recladded as well;) as we speak.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid105/p710971af3425928c59956b0bebd8e282/f970bff5.jpg

Originally posted by Fabian
A recent pic of the Westfield Tower from the harbour. It looks as if it was just built. :)

The smaller tower is being recladded as well;) as we speak.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid105/p710971af3425928c59956b0bebd8e282/f970bff5.jpg

I agree, it looks nice and new! A big improvement I think! I also think the Westfield signage on the tower looks good! :D

Originally posted by fro
Thanks for the pics C_C. Don't like the ceiling though in pic2. WTF?? A shed? I thought this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art shopping centre? Latest design trends and all that... maybe not. Maybe not.:rant:

hehe, it might have been more obvious if there were some photos of the unfinished facade or the open-air concrete sky bridge... Mind, the 'tin shed' look would have produced an interesting contrast with the imported marble flooring.

Westfield have seemingly been very strict on the standard of appointment of stores in the centre, so you find some very flash looking chemists and newsagents (I suppose its understandable when they're three shops away from Armani or something)

Originally posted by Muse

The elliptical voids looking down to the food hall or the likes is reminiscent of Grace. Bros'....oooops, I mean Myer's Sydney Central Plaza's - which is actually owned by Westfield Trust. What a co-incidence NOT.

But Westfield only got control of SCP in 2003.
That void is actually circular from the upper three levels. Looks odd. Funniest thing is the whole foyer area just inside from photo #1 with heaps of armchairs and coffee tables for people to sit at in the semi-dark (not all lighting complete) and cold (the wind blows in).

Originally posted by fro
Thanks for the pics C_C. Don't like the ceiling though in pic2. WTF?? A shed? I thought this was supposed to be a state-of-the-art shopping centre? Latest design trends and all that... maybe not. Maybe not.:rant:

Haha. I took it because I thought it was a unique shot, knowing it would look nothing like this when finished. The other part across the road is massive. Not sure if it's open yet.

Originally posted by Muse
The elliptical voids looking down to the food hall or the likes is reminiscent of Grace. Bros'....oooops, I mean Myer's Sydney Central Plaza's - which is actually owned by Westfield Trust. What a co-incidence NOT.

I liked that pic as well. Something different. And the one next to it was my favorite. Seeing the crane there is quite unique and I was surprised to see it perfectly alligned as well.

Originally posted by climbing_crane
Haha. I took it because I thought it was a unique shot, knowing it would look nothing like this when finished. The other part across the road is massive. Not sure if it's open yet.

on the Southside (former Grace Bros building) only the roof-level carparking floors are open (and its access to the shops is only via a currently-open-air bridge): none of the shops or underground-level parking are open. Myer is set to open April 1. They currently have a good chunk of their sales staff at work stocking up.

Nope looks so much better now from the outside
Can say I every been in but may now have to

I like how it fronts onto the street, make a suburban mall semi urban!! alot better than fronting onto a car park though it would be nice if they had some stores fronting onto the street for street interaction

the old shopping centres has shops on the street-front. I'm not sure if Westfield are intending to place them back. There are a few other shops on the other block that front to Oxford Street and Westfield don't own. They're still open (but mainly trash like Centrelink and second-hand books and music...)

Edit: should be added that there's an old pub included in the development. It's original, restored, facade faces the street and it will retain that entry, in addition to entry from inside the centre.

Originally posted by climbing_crane

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/p3aa95a1e2cc27c3d7e43ff5dd1fc1dc7/f95afe44.jpg

That crane is now gone, so you did well to get it!

I find it funny that there are going to be a RETOXING and DETOXING centres in there! Also, yeah i thouught it looked like a tin shed when westfield was first opened from that oxford/bronte rd corner. NOW whats happened - on monday the LOWER food court has opened, still another level of foodshops to open right above, with this big nice wooden staircase in the middle, they also have balconies on the harbour and big windows with GREAT harbour views! if your in the area arounf lunch you should check it out! Also, you can see where the skybridge entrance is gonna be if you walk from one end to another(itss covered in boards, SO shoppers cannot walf across an open air sky bridge) and the skybridge is almost fully clad in that blue glass which actually looks pretty good!. There are also a ton of shops to open in the already opened area, and above the currently open levels there are 3 more levels! which means that somehow they're going to have 8 levels in there! also im guessing either a 6 or 8 level void in one area and a 5 level void in another (where that tin shed are is - that is one massive void! also the ceilings there are probably higher than in the rest of the centre) which will be surround by 3 levels but stillhave the height of 5 or 6. So still alot of shops to open there prolly before middle of year!

Thats just the old westfield area ;)

On the gracebros area as someone said myer opening april1 and this area is prolly around the samesize( but not surprising if bigger) and is hardly finished! the carpark is finished in someparts (althugh they finished that AGES ago, like mid last year if not earlier) and they are gonna have blue glass here too, and the granite slabs, mostly cos you can see them already lol. Nothing mush on this side except i have a slight feeling (only a slight one) that they are gonna have metal framework on top....probably not though.

REMEMBER - at the end of all this, there will be 104,00m2 of shopping! i don't know how, but they've managed to squash it in!

Also there is a carpark levels, or levels that span both of the sites entirely! so there is gonna be alot of parking, but prolly not enough still lol.

Another thing, the oxford st level is lvl 3! so ground level is lvl 3 of shopping! still 4 or five to go above that!and two below it!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid108/p6f13c7e098a62cb079c232007ad5c229/f949cd00.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid108/pd713af6d92735ce4d7e43fa7c0f50d00/f949cbed.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid108/p7950dd2cce2e3f7b327800a822efa373/f949cb51.jpg

Another section opened last Thursday, that's the Shopping Level 1 (Centre level 5) on the "Southside" (former Grace Bros building) connected to the Northside under Oxford Street. That section houses Coles (very oddly set out with lattitudal aisles, parallel to the row of checkouts) and Mobile Phone alley (Vodafone, Optus World, Crazy Johns, Fone Zone and Three all in one area)

Visited this on the weekend - it looks pretty amazing. But does anyone know, what's teh deal with the ceilings above the voids - just outside DJs and also outside coles there are these multi-level voids, above which you might expect there to be a skylight or something, but instead there's just 'black'. If you've seen it you'll know what I mean, if you haven't it's very hard to explain.

it's temporary. Most of the voids have some beam and particle board supports at their top. The one outside David Jones was like this, the one outside Coles was originally black because the lights were off above. But with those floors opening on the 19th, the lights are on and there's a temporary roof on the void above level 3.

The Northside void outside David Jones should be clear by July. . .

you can grab a piece of Sydney's history (so long as no one sees you) as the Bronte tram line is ripped out of Bronte Road. Westfield are resurfacing the streets so this line has been dug up. The Bondi lines on Oxford Street are already mostly gone from previous works.

http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,9353,9307591-28778,00.html

Stores in Bondi showdown
By SARAH GRANT
April 18, 2004
THE battle of Australia's most iconic retailers is set to ignite on Wednesday when Myer opens its doors opposite David Jones in the new Westfield centre at Bondi Junction.

The $700 million site will house Myer's first new store in three years, and will spark a showdown for the retail rivals, who are both vying for the lucrative eastern suburbs dollar.

To upstage David Jones' recent launch at the centre, Myer will roll out a host of local celebrities for its VIP opening this week.

Jodhi Packer, Roosters star Luke Ricketson and ironwoman Candice Falzon are among those who will handle cash registers at the event, with proceeds going to the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.

Entertainment will centre around a parade of imported fashion labels and 40 live fashion installations.

Myer managing director Dawn Robertson, responsible for the re-branding of the retail giant, said the store was targeting the young and fashionable clientele.

"From the research we conducted in the eastern suburbs, we found that customers are looking for a department store that is more modern and exciting.

"Our customer is younger than the David Jones shopper, and we have taken inspiration and influence from world-renowned department stores to create a shopping experience."

Myer Bondi will feature a designer lingerie section, plasma-screen televisions and trend galleries displaying new merchandise.

David Jones chief executive Mark McInnes said it was going to be "business as usual" at the Bondi site.

"Our new store is trading fantastically, and I don't envisage anything changing."

umm well err the was kind of a store there before, so half of the article is Myer PR spin. Rumour is the MD (and probably Westfield) wanted the Myer store to be a complete David Jones clone and be further up-market than a regular Myer. We'll see the outcome soon. I don't really think Myer can compete with David Jones in an area that they don't otherwise contest - they'll do better business if they're different to David Jones.

I mean, the way Westfield are going they'll eliminate a good chunk of their potential turnover by being too upmarket. All the fancy international high-fashion stores are almost always empty. Too much immitation Double Bay...

I mean, the way Westfield are going they'll eliminate a good chunk of their potential turnover by being too upmarket. All the fancy international high-fashion stores are almost always empty. Too much immitation Double Bay...That was the plan from the word "go". i.e. to have it all up-market under the pretense of being fancy-schmancy. Out of reach for most, pertaining to the whims and pretensions of a few. For whatever their $$$-making goals, their accountants had been doing overtime eg. potential profit projection losses or nice little havens.

Always expect a sub-ed. of something from the Sunday Terror-graph as advertising under the guise of being 'the news" lol.

Myer have already started 15 sec (mean buggers) adverts on tele for the opening.

The new Bondi Myer must be a bit more upmarket - they have been mentioning some big centres of fashion in their new TV ad! LOL

Can't help admiring Westfield and their never ending expansions....The most exciting one is currently happening in San Francisco....In 2006 the new Westfield San Francisco will combine the existing SF Shopping Center (anchored by Nordstrom) and refurbished Emporium (anchored by Bloomingdale's), new stadium like cinemas etc. (1.5 million sq m in total!)

My favourite expansion though will be Westfield Parramatta! Hope this one will kick off soon!!

Go Westfield! :)

Myer opens today!!!

Altius, it is upmarket and was this was intended to be so. Myer Bondi will specialise in fashion, but will have all other departments as found in other stores.

From The Sydney Morning Herald (smh.com.au)

Credit cards optional, maps a must in this mall for the brave
By Susan Wyndham
April 21, 2004

Bondi Junction without a map is a place for the brave.

Step out of the roadworks on shabby Oxford Street and you're in the vast glass hangar of Westfield's new shopping mall, where six floors of retail shops pose as a five-star hotel lobby or a modern art gallery.

The art is in the shop windows. International designers such as Versace, Ralph Lauren, Bally, Karen Millen and Georg Jensen create the most exclusive arcade, with Australians Leona Edmiston, Morrissey, Wayne Cooper and Alannah Hill below them.

"Who needs to go to Double Bay any more?" said a young woman shopper, voicing the fear of businesses in the suburb that has looked down its nose at Bondi Junction for 40 years.

If Westfield knows what it's doing, the east has a 21st century version of the prestige, one-stop shopping precinct found on Broadway in its glory days.

The refurbished David Jones and Myer glower at each other from opposite ends. Customers will have to work out for themselves the difference between the two glossy new stores.

Woolworths, Coles and Target give each floor a practical anchor along with a range of smaller service shops. At the top, a food hall offers choices from noodles to pancakes, with a view to the Harbour Bridge. Up there you can obtain a new mobile phone, computer games, CDs, chocolates, manicures, massages and, if it's all too much, visit the cardiologist.

Hectares of terrazzo - and marble on the designer level - sparkle into the distance and atriums open to endless vistas of happy consumers. But don't look too high or peek behind the hoardings. Fewer than half the 300 shops are open, unfinished ceilings spew air-conditioning ducts and hard-hatted labourers wander among the shoppers.

The management promises the rest will be in business by mid-September, including a gym and an 11-screen cinema complex.

There's already more than some people can cope with, judging by the fact that maps of the centre had run out. New ones will be available today.

Resting spots, carefully spaced through the 104,000 square metres, provide leather benches and clusters of soft armchairs - inviting while they stay clean.

Two women collapsed onto a sofa after an hour's shopping with their children. What did they think of this new destination?

"Big, grand, daunting," said one. "I'm from Dubbo, so it's very daunting," said her friend. "We couldn't get through the car park."

The Herald found its way to Myer via an aerial bridge being constructed over Oxford Street.

On the shiny and very slippery white floors, teams of smiling, black-clad, underemployed shop assistants rushed to inquire, "How are you today?"

Asked for some real help - "How do I get out of here?" - one assistant gave the unhelpful answer, "You go out where you came in."

This shopping Centre is just amazing. Went there today, and Myer really is at the same standard as DJ's. Its an amazing store from what I saw of it, with amazing plasma displays everywhere, and just really classy. This shopping centre will without a doubt be one of the classiest shopping centres in the world. They even got handle free taps in the bathrooms! (it senses when your hand is there and water warm water comes out) lol. 100/10.

haha, my mother (being an expert on these things :-o ) described Myer as a cross between David Jones and Target [the one in the centre which looks a good deal better than a normal one], so she didn't think it was any different to say the city Grace Brothers. Now if she'd said it to any one of the hundreds of Head Office staff there, they'd have been mightily upset.

I made it up to Bondi Junction today, and I thought the shopping centre so far is quite good with a nice layout. It certainly had the upmarket feel to it as walked through the complex. Even the concergies and information officers were wearing nice outfits, even better than the red suits at other Westfield's in Sydney.

I had a quick flick in Myer and I was quite disappointed. It didn't look very upmarket, looking pretty much like the other stores, but at least there is plenty of space to stock items and move around.

You should check out the food court on level 5. It has super views of the city and the harbour. I could of gone outside onto the outdoor deck but it's being used by construction workers.

I managed two shots today.

Here's one of the Adelaide Street entrance

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid113/p22e131a7c7cbb0b27e4095fd423a941d/f8ea6b3e.jpg

And a construction shot from Oxford St Mall.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid113/p92cc87144f06eb3257b28d95e041d51c/f8ea6e91.jpg

And a construction shot from Oxford St Mall.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid113/p92cc87144f06eb3257b28d95e041d51c/f8ea6e91.jpg

Westfield should have purchased those dodgy properties on the corner of Bronte and Oxford and incorporated them into the redevelopment!

yeah, that building on the corner used to be a National Bank branch (now empty). The next shop was a restaurant, but is now a shoe shop in poor condition. Next to that used to be the Post Office, they moved and rebuilt the site so its now a chemist. Next to that is a clothing shop, they've just gutted to place. Westfield could probably have got the lot for < $5million.

Off to the right of picture is the Tea Gardens hotel (Westfield already own it) and the National Bank branch. Then is Westfield's street entry. To the right of that again is a convenience store and a takeaway food bar or two. These properties would also cost < $5million. Then they'd have the whole block (given the limitation that the hotel is heritage listed)

But hey, you've got to have something to expand into when it comes time for major overhaul! In the meantime, a developer might step in, either site could fit a mid-scale commercial office devlopment. There hasn't been an office development for more than 10 years.

Greater Union is set to open in June. An ad asking for people to apply for positions was advertised in last week's (April 21) edition of The Wentworth Courier. The cinema complex will also have a large snack bar (believed to be the biggest in Sydney) and will boast spectular views of the harbour from the foyer and snack bar.

Great!! Although the Dendy Opera Quays is right on the Harbour with views just outside its entrance on the promenade, to be able to enjoy the view from a G.U. cineplex's foyer sounds pretty classy (although the majority of cineplexes in themselves aren't).

Let's hope Westfield's one for Bondi Junction is attempting to be visually interesting in keeping with the supposed tasteful theme throughout the whole project and not just another clone.

From yesterday's Column 8:

Only in the eastern suburbs, No 1: At the new Westfield at Bondi Junction yesterday, Elaine Jackson of North Ryde checked out the community noticeboard outside Coles. Among the usual sports equipment going cheap she noticed an ad for a Stradivarius violin, made in 1642 in Cremona, yours for a mere $25,000. It really could be a bargain. According to Google, the record price for a Strad is $US1.5 million ($2.05 million). Others are being advertised on-line for $US71,000 and $US932,000. As they say, the prices are cheaper at Coles.

Also out inspecting the Bondi Junction renovations was Bert of Point Piper, who noticed a sign at the new Myer store: "Disabled Lift, Not Working."

:tongue2:

lol! maybe westfield or myer is rushing on the construction a bit too... much...

I read in the current edition of The Wentworth Courier that a helicopter had been used a few weeks to transport construction material and equipment as to minimise disruption at street level. It even published some pictures of the helicopters in action. However residents in nearby apartment towers were annoyed of course.

Fourth floor on the Southside opened today including the bottom level of the skybridge. This includes the "other" food court, with more "regular" food (i.e. your typical range of franchise stores). Not a lot of seating though, and half of that which does exist is on a balcony: sounds good in theory but in reality anyone who knows Bondi Junction knows it's either boiling hot or freezing cold and perpetually blowing a gale!

Fifth floor looks about 1 or 2 weeks away.

Wow westfield has opened up quickly - you can now see the sky from all parts of the shopping centre where there is a void and glass for a roof. Also, there is going to be definately 8 levels if not 9 on the old westfield side. PLUS the movies there open soon! WOO im so seeing Harry Pothead 3 there!

Wow westfield has opened up quickly - you can now see the sky from all parts of the shopping centre where there is a void and glass for a roof. Also, there is going to be definately 8 levels if not 9 on the old westfield side. PLUS the movies there open soon! WOO im so seeing Harry Pothead 3 there!

Greater Union will be open in a few weeks!!!!

Westfields Liverpool revealed artist impressions of new extention last week. And - Yes, you guessed it, a white facade. But it did have huge stainless steal structures for the entries. I'll post some pics on a new thread soon. :)

Westfields Liverpool revealed artist impressions of new extention last week. And - Yes, you guessed it, a white facade. But it did have huge stainless steal structures for the entries. I'll post some pics on a new thread soon. :)

Excellent.....would really appreciate that, over here been trying to follow this one for a long time, and Westfield never seems to put any of their plans on their internet site. Pity about the generic white facade, any idea what sort of floor space will be added to the centre?

Cheers and thanks

Here's a pic from today.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid120/pd7a0a2f51a33d1960a65959dee1d3ec3/f85f3fdf.jpg

level 6 (top level) and level 5 on myer side opens on july 1st!
on lvl 6 there will be the 8 screen cinemas as well as full proper restaurants with great views and more shops!

Also, it looks like they're going to have an outside on lvl 6 above lvl 5 on oxford st/bronte rd. I might get some pics today

Greater Union open next week, July 1 :okay:

...in case you hadn't noticed the advertising blitz...

like every household in the "catchment" area was delivered a brochure including temporary Cinebuzz club membership card. Firsy session is at 6pm according to the session times placed on the web and promptly withdrawn...

Retailers are hoping that the completed complex will pull in more business. At the moment, business is down significantly due to work.

And Greater Union will have nine cinemas, not eleven as this article will mention

From The Sydney Morning Herald (smh.com.au)

Gain follows pain for shops when rubble clears
By Brigid Delaney
June 30, 2004

Not all retailers are unhappy ... the manager of Tea Gardens Hotel, Anthony Tuite, says the new Westfield will benefit passing trade and attract a more upmarket crowd. Photo: Robert Pearce

Mothers say the pain of labour is forgotten after giving birth. Traders in Bondi Junction are hoping the same when Westfield puts the finishing touches to its $700million shopping centre in the next few months.

After 15 months of construction it has been a messy birth, with road closures, noise, traffic chaos and rubble.

Traders right outside the complex have been most affected. Stephen Lucas, the president of the Bondi and District Chamber of Commerce, said six businesses had closed since construction began, due in part to decreased takings. The shops were in Oxford Street and in Waverley Mall, near the site.

All were independent retailers and included a patisserie, a second-hand book store and a children's party shop, whose profit margins were too low to absorb the drop in business.

The chamber of commerce surveyed shops in the area and found those opposite the construction site had a 40 to 50 per cent drop in turnover and those in the surrounding blocks had a 20 to 30 per cent fall.

But after the pain there may be gains for retailers.
Advertisement Advertisement

Five years after $310 million was spent renovating the retail area in Chatswood, the popularity of the two main retail projects also benefited the adjoining shopping strip. Retailing in Parramatta bounced back, with Westfield Shoppingtown and a spruced-up outdoor retail area luring shoppers.

The manager of Tea Gardens Hotel in Bronte Road, Anthony Tuite, has noticed a new atmosphere around Bondi Junction: "It used to be a workers' suburb, but since Westfield opened, the style of person walking around the suburb has changed."

He hopes the hotel will capitalise on the upmarket crowd by opening an upstairs lounge.

Although the hotel lost 30 per cent of its takings during the construction phase, Mr Tuite believes the Westfield centre willincrease its passing trade.

But for retailers further afield there will be no such flow-on.

With the Greater Union cinema in Double Bay closing today - a day before 11 screens open at Bondi Junction, Westfield - the Mayor of Woollahra, Geoff Rundle, is bracing for nervous retailers.

"The feeling is that clearly Westfield will have a drain on Double Bay, but we'll survive. It's just a shame, because the cinema has been there for 20 years.

"It's a typical Westfield thing of trying to drag all the businesses in from the neighbouring centres."

The Mayor of Waverley, Peter Moscatt, is also monitoring the impact on local businesses. "The council is very concerned about the impact of the Westfield development on local strip shopping centres," he said.

^^Yes, their catchment area will have expanded massively - quite a few of the posh yuppies (and their posh yuppy families) in my street have told me they've made the trip out there to check it out! And its at least two primary trading zones away from here (or approx. 25km away in layman's terms...but Bondi Junction is on our railway line, so it's not really much further than the CBD).

I've been out there too, but that was for a uni assignment. ;) I'll make the trip again when it's all opened up I think. :)

Greater Union open next week, July 1 :okay:Yes, from 5PM. Since the old Bondi twin flea-pit closed, Bondi Junction has been devoid of cinemas. Shame the Double Bay G.U. twin is closing though. Oh well, Sydney loses 2 screens but gains 11 new ones.

I've heard that the cinemas will contain only nine screens.

Bondi Junction becomes only the second Greater Union to feature Gold Class Cinemas after the one at Macquarie Centre.

Here are some images of what the Gold Class Cinemas will look like. It's great for that night out with your partner. The seats are full reclinable with footrests, a table to place your food and even a wine cooler. There is also an exclusive bar adjacent to each cinema selling finger food & drinks

http://www.greaterunion.com.au/images/cinemas/goldclass/gal02l.jpg

http://www.greaterunion.com.au/images/cinemas/goldclass/gal03l.jpg

Yes, from 5PM. Since the old Bondi twin flea-pit closed, Bondi Junction has been devoid of cinemas.

The old Westfield/AMP centre had a single independant cinema


I've heard that the cinemas will contain only nine screens.

It's my understanding that it is nine "Senstadium" theatres and two Gold Class. Gold Class being in separate theatres rather than at the back of regular ones. A Gold Class theatre is supposed to hold 40 people, I can't really see them filling it. Anyhow, the website URL http://www.greaterunion.com.au/cinemas/cinema.asp?state=NSW&cinema=126&page=About. The first session isn't until after 6PM, but the sessions list appears and disappears [randomly?] from the site...

i heard on the radio that these gold class cinemas will feature automatic reclinable chairs... classy ;)

Weird. Wouldn't it all be a bit distracting? I mean, you're there to see a movie - not to chow down on finger food and cocktails!

I guess it's also pretty much exclusively for couples - don't suppose you'd see too many groups in these expensive cinemas! Why not just give them a booth with a double bed and be done with it?!!

It looks like the feature couple in that pic are playing musical chairs! Im sure someone told them to sit the f*ck down when they were swapping seats between the two pics. ;)

I've done gold class twice. It's pricey, no doubt about it, and I wouldn't go every single time I went to the cinemas, but once in a while it's a nice change. What I like the most is that you can tell the staff when you want that bottle Semillion Chardonnay or bottles of Cascade Premium to come in with your bowl of crunchy, steaming hot wedges...

Shame there's no gold class/la premiere in western Sydney. If they had it at Livo I'd be wrapped.

The old Westfield/AMP centre had a single independant cinemaI went there once a long time ago and even though a single screen, my memory of it was that it was realy ratty! It was such a memorable experience that I can't even remember what flick we saw.

BTW The site hornetfig posted states the operating hours for G.U. Bondi Junction are as follows...

Cinema Trading Hours:
9am to Midnight from Sunday to Thursday
9am to 3am from Friday to Saturday

^ Now that's classy! ^

It looks like the feature couple in that pic are playing musical chairs! Im sure someone told them to sit the f*ck down when they were swapping seats between the two pics. ;)

ROFL :lol:

It's my understanding that it is nine "Senstadium" theatres and two Gold Class. Gold Class being in separate theatres rather than at the back of regular ones. A Gold Class theatre is supposed to hold 40 people, I can't really see them filling it. Anyhow, the website URL http://www.greaterunion.com.au/cinemas/cinema.asp?state=NSW&cinema=126&page=About. The first session isn't until after 6PM, but the sessions list appears and disappears [randomly?] from the site...

I just got the Westfield Bondi Junction newsletter and you were correct. The bar will have great views of the city and harbour as well

Also Norton Street Grocer will open today which is located near Coles. Breakfast presenters Sammy and Jason from MIX 106.5 will be there from 12pm-2pm along with the MIX street team who will be there until 4pm.

The Harbour Room cafe court will now be open until 9pm each night

Also, I found out that Harvey Norman will open a store there soon.

Harvey Norman along with Floor 5 Southside was supposed to open a week ago...

Norton Street Grocer was open.

You know, 2Day FM is based in Tower 2, level 26 and Triple M is up on level 25, all they'd have to do to broadcast from there would be take an elevator!

This shopping centre surely sounds exciting. But all this development caused any downsides yet?

well for example Greater Union have closed their Double Bay cinema now that Bondi Junction opened which is of great concern to Double Bay retailers whose clientelle is in the sights of Westfield already.

Also retailers in Oxford Street Mall and also Oxford Street west, Bronte Road, Spring Street, Ebley Street etc have experienced a serious decline in trade due to (1) Westfield & Carousel centres and Grace Bros closing (2) mall redevelopment (3) the size and style of the new Westfield.

This week from the Wentworth Courier::

Complex scheme 'shows foresight'
Report NICOLE TRIANTAFILLOU
Council creates vision to turn Bondi Junction into a thriving metropolis.

It's a mammoth plan designed to rebirth Bondi Junction into a mini-metropolis of the future and represents nothing short of a quantum leap in town planning.

Waverley Council has undertaken the largest consultation process ever, to come up with its recently released draft strategic plan for Bondi Junction. Released for public exhibition until August, the draft plan outlines a three-year commitment to shape the future look of the burgeoning town centre.

More than 3000 letters and surveys were circulated to residents, commuters and businesses, who were asked their views on issues affecting the area.

Safety around the mall was identified as the number-one concern, followed by issues related to traffic.

While the development of Westfield, the bus and rail interchange and residential growth have all contributed to the rapid expansion of the area, the plan has combined years of council-commissioned studies. Bondi Junction Committee chair and deputy mayor, George Newhouse, said although the Westfield development had precipitated plans for a revamp, the Junction's tired facade had been the driving force behind the plans.

"The impetus was the fact that we had a run-down, tired regional centre that looked awful," Cr Newhouse said. "Westfield simply pushed that concern to a new level of urgency because our consultants foreshadowed an economic disaster for the commercial areas outside Westfield."

He said changes to the Junction's boundaries, in which the northern side of Oxford Street was handed over from Woollahra Council to Waverley, had ensured the plan's go-ahead.

Bondi Junction Committee representative Eric Gyors said he remained concerned about how much of the plan would finally be realised, given its complexity. "I support council for having the guts to plan this," Mr Gyors said. "The plan itself is good and it's good to see it shows foresight and thought about what's going to happen tomorrow."

He added that small businesses continued to face problems in the short term and that the State Government was not contributing enough to help council develop the area.

"[The State Government] have taken it upon themselves to be the consent authority for Bondi Junction, but they're not putting enough back in -- we need real funds," he said.

Mr Gyors said any development plan for the area should consider alternatives at the Waverley depot site. He said taking the depot undergound could be an option, particularly if the space was returned to the community. "If we develop the western end of Bondi Junction I think it is possible to turn it into another anchor and have something major at that end."

A masterplan for Bondi Junction is due to be released for public exhibition next month. It will consider the area's built environment either side of Oxford Street mall.

The public is invited to comment on the strategic plan, which will be on public exhibition until August 2 at Waverley Council Chambers, Waverley Library or at www.bondijunction.org.au



The reference to the depot is Waverley Bus Depot at the far end of Bondi Junction at Centennial Park. The STA had proposed to "sink" the depot and build their corporate HQ plus additional office space on the site. NIMBY killed it.

COMPLETE!

Yes, Westfield is Complete! You can now access all of Westfield Bondi Junction! Needless to say though, there is still probably a total of a level of shops to open, including all the fancy-schmancy restaurants with city views, the gym, and i guess, most of the rest of level six! Also to open are a quite a few shops on level five Myer Side (or as the designers call it, "Zone B")

So, All the majors are now open -
*Coles
*Woolworths
*Myer
*David Jones (although that never closed)
*Greater Union (not actually greater in every sense, just more expensive in every sense ;))
*Harvey Norman (Half of it was still being put in when I went in there :bash: )
*Norton St Grocer
*JB Hi-Fi (Not Really a major-major, but still big)
*Target
*Rebel (Does that Count? The store aint open yet, but it looks to cover a big area)
So there are Nine Major Stores in there (which is alot!) and they still manage to fit in 357 Speciality Shops! or 359 if you include Jb Hi-Fi and Rebel, with 51 Speciality Shops on Level one, 64 on Level two, 76 on level three, 76 on level four, 75 on level five and 15 on level six (level six has a major and 3 large restaurants on a floor plan less the half the size of a total floor area. Also, David Jones Takes up more than a quarter of each floor that it is on, with Myer less than a quarter of the total floor area it takes up on each level.

So yes, I think Westfield Bondi Junction WILL be THE Place to go for shopping!

Some other interesting Facts:
*When it was being built, westfield Bondi Junction was the largest Commercial Building site in Sydney!

*WBJ has 104,000m2 of retail space

*There is 359 Specialty Stores

*There's over 3,300 parking spaces and 18km of parking

*There is 62 Escalators and Travelators in WBJ

*Theere are eight large glass panels the size of a paddington terrace down adelaide st.

*Each side is linked by about a 10meter wide, two level skybridge

*The forecast cost was $680million

*The forecast value on completion is over $1 billion.

*There are 8 levels of parking

*There are 14 levels overall on the south side, and 10 on the north side.

*The top level of parking on the southside is about 22.5 metres above ground, and on the north side, it is about 35 metres above ground

Sounds impressive, will have to go there and check it out one day, and maybe catch a movie at the new Greater Union that opened there.

Yes, major construction and fitout is complete, including the four roof-level parking floors.

The remaining majors to open are Rebel on level 4 and Fitness First Gym on level 6. I'd estimate 50+ shops are yet to open.

In terms of categorising stores, JB, Harvey Norman, Norton Street, Rebel and the so-far-unmentioned QuickSilver consitutute mini-majors.

Go up and jump on the level 6 floor, it's sprung wooden; feels like a Basketball court!

is quicksilver a miny-major? i took a step inside (literally) but it only looked like a medium-large store, not a large-large or large-huge or huge-huge (like me sizing system?:D)

I don't know, it will be two levels in the end though? it has massive street frontage. They were still setting up last time I was looking around there.

As for your sizing system, well I can't imagine Westfield picking it up with all their fancy names and signage and all; might attract the wrong crowd [shocking!] :-O

^ LOL OMG Freak-out! Eeeek! There are lots of junkies around Bon. Jun.

O.K., You've all got my curiousity juices flowin'. I've got to make an attempt to get out there now.

I'll check out all 62 escalators and travelators and yell obscenities a' la Turrets Syndrome @ those 2 in the cinema (there's always somebody I feel like doing it to anyway with their noisy chip packets 'n scraping the popcorn bucket for morsels ;) )

two levels? No surprising, i guess, but isnt EB Games directly above quicksilver on level 5? i might be wrong..., but wouldnt they say quicksilver is on levels 4 and 5 on the online map?

I was thinking that it (EB Games) isn't full depth. But I don't know. Country Road is open and two floors high...

i suppose, cos it hasnt got a big window at the back, although the storage could be where the window is....

Here's a good article from The Sydney Morning Herald (smh.com.au) discusing the impact of Westfield on local retailing.

Bondi Junction now going to plan
By Carolyn Cummins, Commercial Property Editor
July 17, 2004

The opening of Westfield's shopping centre in Bondi Junction has given the area a new lease of life, with more developments already planned.

The district has one of the wealthiest population catchments in the country and the sales figures for the major department stores and supermarkets are showing the popularity of the new complex.

Retail industry estimates are that eastern suburbs shoppers have an average annual income of $79,000, shop four times more than the Sydney average and spend $100 per visit to the shops.

The retail strength of the district is also reflected in the high rents demanded from the Junction down to Campbell Parade, Bondi, ranging up to as high as $3000 a square metre.

Restaurants and cafes have overtaken many of the surf and clothing stores that have been a part of the area for many years.

New, trendy residential buildings have been built, bringing a new swag of shoppers to the area.

To cater for their demand, big-name brands have moved into the new Westfield complex.

They include Versace, Alannah Hill, Harvey Norman, Target and high-end jewellers and booksellers.

But other brand stores such as Diesel, Sass and Bide and Von Dutch are happy staying put on Oxford Street, Paddington, where they attract strong patronage from customers who do not like big, generic shopping centres.

To take account of all consumer demands in Bondi Junction and the surrounding district, the Waverley Council has released the Draft Bondi Junction Strategic Plan, which resulted from

community consultation and technical reporting undertaken last year.

Councillors who worked on the draft plan said it outlines a vision for Bondi Junction and maps out a future for residents, businesses and property owners that demonstrates Waverley Council's commitment to integrated place management and strategic planning for the area.

They said Waverley Council had worked with the community through October and November of last year, gathering opinions through a number of processes including surveys of the community and, specifically, youth, email and online surveys and a series of facilitated workshops with key businesspeople and community representatives.

The deputy mayor of Waverley Council and chairman of the Bondi Junction Committee, Cr George Newhouse, who was involved in the draft plan from its inception, described the process as the best mutual outcome for residents, businesses and property owners in the area.

"Listening to and involving the wider community to produce the draft strategic plan guides Bondi Junction to a stronger future and ensures a shared vision becomes an action plan," Cr Newhouse said.

"The draft plan is comprehensive and includes a number of supporting technical documents - an economic overview, traffic and transport review, heritage assessment and a targeted tenancy strategy.

"Council has adopted an innovative approach to community planning, and the involvement and direction from the community has been paramount. We welcome further comment and feedback during the exhibition period."

Councillor Newhouse said during the first stage of the consultation members of the Bondi Junction community had described the following key points as important to their vision for the area.

They wanted: a place that is safe, welcoming and inclusive; a place that is clean, attractive and well-serviced; a place with things for everybody to do; a place that is easily accessible and pedestrian dominated; and a place with a focal point that has character.

One entrepreneur to take advantage of increased demand in the area is property developer Ian Hayson, who has put up a boutique development site at 157 Curlewis Street, just 50 metres from Bondi Beach.

The project, which is being marketed by Warren Duncan at City Commercial, has lodged a development application to refurbish the existing building as seven retail shops and eight apartments.

Yeah, we need to see a BonJun more akin to Chatswood than some hotch-potch languishing with a legacy from the 70s/80s.

Let's hope that Westfield is a catalyst for this.

Does the Stategic Plan include the town square that Noonos posted pics of about 2 years ago? Whatever did happen to that plan!?! Hope so as the Oxford St Mall is BonJun's weakest link IMO.

ummm hmmm

Wentworth Courier (http://www.wentworthcourier.com.au) 14 July:
Call for more offices
The business fraternity is worried Bondi Junction
is becoming a residential village 'by stealth'.


Local businesspeople have called for the development of more offices in Bondi Junction to keep jobs in the area and offset the boom in residential dwellings.

Property consultant John Craven from Evolution Management, told a Bondi Junction and Districts Chamber of Commerce breakfast last week that Bondi Junction threatened to become a "residential village by stealth".

"Over 1200 new residential apartments have been constructed in the centre since 1991, displacing lands for office development and, in turn, the potential for hundreds of long-term, high-quality local jobs," Mr Craven said.

Mr Craven said demand on space and services in Bondi Junction was increasing as commercial strips were eroded with "mixed use" residential developments.

"Commercial business is not just takeaway stores and coffee shops," Mr Craven said. "We need to support local business of all types and provide affordable business accommodation for the region."

The chamber's vice-president, Max Siano, said there was a "heavy imbalance" between residential and commercial space in the area, which threatened to make Bondi Junction "dormant", apart from the Westfield shopping centre.

Waverley deputy mayor George Newhouse backed calls for more commercial
developments in Bondi Junction as a whole, but warned that more residential
dwellings were needed around the Oxford Street mall to make it safer and more populated at night.

Mark Gertskis

^^^^That is so true - there are tons of cafes on oxford st mall, and they already had competition and now they have more cos of westfield

Some pictures I took during my visit to the complex last week.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/pd2e7ddb712da048102870bda0b64d964/f7b2a149.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/p7378c6c430578d4f734226432ce9a309/f7b2a0b7.jpg

This has to be the No 1 skybridge in Sydney. Love the blue tinted windows

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/p14492f065ba408f6583d6242f911b9d6/f7b2a089.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/pc4548c9ac43ad932d81c02c5efbf1f2c/f7b2a0a2.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/pd52f58043702ac4483e70c304f7b8bf8/f7b2a128.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/pe3cddf2ad0f8d5c286c09472da642f74/f7b2a053.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid131/pca7ed62a9724c7a9f7f3d6b8b0fb2958/f7b29fda.jpg

great shots fabian! what does everyone thin of the decor there? yes...no....ok.....?

I thought the decor was fine :)

Westfield is now set to launch a porter service in an attempt to get them to stay longer, spend more and add to the Westfield's greedy coffers.

From The Sydney Morning Herald (smh.com.au)
New way to make you spend: super mall's got it in the bag
By Julian Lee, Marketing Reporter
August 19, 2004

Shopping is about to get easier with the Bondi Junction mall about to introduce a hands-free shopping service.

The service will allow customers to have their goodies whisked away by uniformed porters, allowing shopaholics extra time to do what they do best - more shopping.

Westfield expects customers who take up the service will spend "significantly" more as they linger longer in the centre.

"We've seen from other centres where we've put in a drop-off kids' service or a creche that the amount of time people spend [in the centre] increases by around 50 per cent," said the marketing manager of Bondi Junction centre, Lisa McMyn.

"And the longer they stay the more they spend."

Plasma TV screens showing sport to keep men occupied while their partners shop, microwaves to heat up babies' bottles and luxury changing rooms are just some of the methods being used to improve what the marketers call the "store experience".

Westfield general manager marketing, Michelle Vanzella, said it was no longer enough just to have a gleaming new centre full of the latest store formats.
Advertisement Advertisement

The porter service costs $12 a day and can only be used in clothes shops. Bags are left at central point where they can be collected later in the day.

Westfield might introduce the service at other urban centres, although Bondi Junction's catchment is the highest spending in Australia. The average eastern suburbs household has an annual income of $79,000, nearly 25 per cent larger than the national metropolitan average. Its residents spend $3 billion a year shopping, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Tim Burton-Taylor, of customer service consultancy Hoed, applauded the idea but said peripheral services were "mere icing on the cake".

"What's needed is an improvement in the levels of service that customers get from sales staff. People want to be acknowledged when they come into a store and that does not always happen."

In Hoed's latest annual survey, fashion retailers were among the worst when it came to customer service.

they've been advertising this in the centre but it didn't really explain what it is. I'm afraid I'm still not much the wiser. . .

Seems to mean there will be a centre-wide wireless network. Wireless networking is available currently at the least in the Terrace Foodcourt, though I'd expect it in the Harbour Room (upmarket foodcourt) too.

I thought the decor was fine :)
"What's needed is an improvement in the levels of service that customers get from sales staff. People want to be acknowledged when they come into a store and that does not always happen."


I'm sorry but that's utter bs! I hate when store staff come and harrass me when I'm just having a look to see if the store has what I'm looking for or anything of interest! About the most I'd want on entering the store is a reciprocal grin or smile when I make eye contact with the staff. :yes:

If I decide that the store has stuff I'm interested in, then I'd just want staff there to answer questions and help me if I can't find it myself!

So I'd say the biggest issue is that the staff are there when you don't want their help, and painfully absent when you do!

Tim Burton-Taylor, of customer service consultancy Hoed, applauded the idea but said peripheral services were "mere icing on the cake".

"What's needed is an improvement in the levels of service that customers get from sales staff. People want to be acknowledged when they come into a store and that does not always happen."Is that true? I worked in retail for a number of years before and found that most people just want to be left alone, even with just an acknowledgement. Trust a "customer service consultant" to say something like that.

As far as the decor goes, it differs all the way through. Some parts are looking great, some funky some a bit cheap.

LOL finn and I posted the same time on exactly the same point. GMTA ;)

LOL, GMTA for sure! :D

I'm sorry but that's utter bs! I hate when store staff come and harrass me when I'm just having a look to see if the store has what I'm looking for or anything of interest! About the most I'd want on entering the store is a reciprocal grin or smile when I make eye contact with the staff. :yes:

If I decide that the store has stuff I'm interested in, then I'd just want staff there to answer questions and help me if I can't find it myself!

So I'd say the biggest issue is that the staff are there when you don't want their help, and painfully absent when you do!


That's David Jones, and seemingly now Myer store policy: you have to be acknowledged within 2 minutes and greeted with an open ended question (to force a response) within 3 minutes. "How may I help you?"

^^To which one may reply "I could do with a quickie in the changerooms?"

^^LOL!!!

yeah, they've got all these signs around westfield advertising the "handsfree shopping service"....

As for quicksilver - i went in there to see if they had any wallets which'd be a goo sizze for my ipod, and they're definately a mini-major in there - they have their own lift and go over two floors. The top floor is level 4 and the lower floor is st level OR level 3

Umm, if you have broadband, you may like to look at this 4.5MB movie::

http://www.westfield.com/au/centres/nsw/bondijunction/news/wbj.mpg

it's an ad; I was cringing but maybe it will appeal to some. . .

The Australian Premier of 'The Bourne Supremacy' will take place @ the new Greater Union Bondi Jctn, Matt Daemon will be there (for anyone whos interested lol)

wasn't that last night? :tongue3:

There are calls for retailers in the Oxford Street Mall to be compensated for lost trade during Westfields construction.

From The Wentworth Courier (wentworthcourier.com.au)
Call for Westfield retail compensation
Wentworth MP Peter King plays killer Goliath for merchant Davids.
Report NICOLE TRIANTAFILLOU
August 25 2004

Calls to compensate Bondi Junction traders for financial loss incurred during Westfield redevelopment have been renewed by the Member for Wentworth, Peter King. In addition, the Wentworth MP has asked Waverley Council to investigate measures to help ameliorate losses sustained by small businesses in Oxford Street and Waverley
Mall.

Mr King said he had spoken with up to 20 traders who named delays in the completion of the project, and the problems of noise, dust and lack of access caused by construction, as ongoing grievances. He said he believed that Westfield should take positive and constructive measures towards conditional compensation.

"As far as retailers are concerned, dislocation is a significant problem," Mr King said. "Where loss can be proven as a result of disruption outside of normal limits, I think that [compensation] is appropriate." Mr King said he had written to the chair of the Bondi
Junction Committee suggesting the introduction of free advertising for traders in Oxford Street mall. When asked about the form free advertising might take, Mr King said he envisaged a mall directory.

However, the Bondi Junction Committee chair, Waverley deputy mayor George Newhouse, baulked at the suggestion of free advertising. Cr Newhouse said the
council had invested $6.6 million in upgrading the mall and employed a full-time
manager to promote the Bondi Junction retail strip.

"Waverley Council had the foresight, based on the advice of expert land economists and planners, to upgrade the mall to prepare for the coming of Westfield," Cr Newhouse said. "I might add that if Woollahra Council had had the same foresight, then Double Bay might not be in the mess that it is in today.

"I have no objection to Mr King making representations to Westfield, but to suggest that council is somehow responsible is simply political point-scoring." Pie Face owner Wayne Homschek and Games Junction owner Paul Lewis said that 11 months on, they were still waiting for the end of refurbishments at Waverley Mall. They claim street lighting removed nine months ago had only been reinstalled three weeks ago, and that drainage works and repaving were required because of flawed workmanship.
The delays, they said, were hurting their business.

"We were briefed by Westfield contractors that it would take six weeks to complete the refurbishment of Waverley Mall, but it finally took 12 weeks," Mr Lewis said. "We still have no garbage bins, no seating. We were under the impression that all this would be provided after six weeks and that was 11 months ago now."

Bondi Junction precinct committee convener Eric Gyors said while he believed claims for compensation were unlikely to succeed, the State Government could do more to assist the council. "I don't think council can do much more, because the consent authority is the State Government," Mr Gyors said. "The State Government should contribute financially to council. Our argument is we would like to have the consent authority returned to council so we can have input and work with council to have problems fixed."

Mr King said he would meet with Westfield representatives to discuss the issues. "We need to make sure that small business and residents are not left behind by the megamalls of tomorrow," he said. "This is an issue that affects not just Bondi Junction, but the rest of the country.

"The way this development is dealt with will set the pattern for the way others are dealt with elsewhere." A spokeswoman for Westfield said although the Member for
Wentworth was entitled to make representations on behalf of his constituents, she would not comment specifically on the issue of compensation.

westfields is now completed. i strolled thru the other day. very impressed. i was also impressed with the view from north balcony. i took some panos. ill try and post soon.

Trust the council to f*** this one up. A new fence has been erected on grosonver street 1) Ruining the tilework and 2) Totaly out of character for the center.

The final product has turned out to be great. I find the complex to be very spacious with lots of room to move around (comes in handy at busy times). It's relatively easy to navigate. The outdoor dining areas are great with excellent views, however the wind is a big turn off. My rubbish from my lunch was blowing all over the place and even the chairs were being pushed around in the wind. The quality of retailers deserves praise. An excellent selection of major retailers and speciality stores to choose from.

The office towers, as stated several times look great with their paint job. It was a much needed spruce up, and I don't need to say that they look virtually brand new.

One thing that impressed me was the toilets. The toilets aren't typical of those found elsewhere. There is a special cleaner to clean the toilet seat and there is no need to press a tap to wash your hands. Just put it under the tap and the water will stream out.

westfields is now completed. i strolled thru the other day. very impressed. i was also impressed with the view from north balcony. i took some panos. ill try and post soon.

I went onto the North terrace today even though it was very windy and the views over the city and harbour were breathtaking. They were genuine million dollar views. I took photo's of the views and the complex but I have lost them all due to an error on my memory card :bash:. I cannot retrieve them at all. the same can be said for all the other photo's I took today. I will have to go and reshoot them another day (& hopefully it's clear & cloudless like today). I also lost scraper pix.