The move from Docklands by Costco has many asking what will become of the Melbourne site.
The membership-based big-box retail has begun construction on its new store in Ardeer ahead of the move at the end of the year.
When Development Victoria took over management of Docklands in the mid-90s, they thought the majority of people that would call the suburb home would be couples with no children.
That belief shaped the way projects and underlying infrastructure needs were planned but several decades later, the main demographic are in fact families with children.
Now there’s speculation that Costco’s Docklands site at 381 Footscray Road would be perfect for a school once the retailer moves to its 5.9ha site at Ardeer, 15km from the Melbourne CBD on Ballarat Road.
The 2.9ha Docklands site is currently owned by Costco. Its store on the site remains operational until it opens the new outlet at Ardeer.
Families in the area have long lobbied for infrastructure including schools and shops that did not exist when they moved to the area when it became more affordable.
The current primary school is considered above capacity with children being taught in temporary classroom set up in a local shopping centre, two lots away from the Costco site.
The main need, however, is for a secondary school as children currently must to travel to other suburbs to attend school.
The Victorian School Building Authority does not have plans for a new school at Docklands listed on its projects website. It is understood that the Docklands site has not been assessed for its suitability as a school location.
The Victorian Department of Education told The Urban Developer that the department regularly reviewed the need for schools in areas using data modelling.
“To ensure robust planning for growth, the department reviews the need for new schools using a range of metrics including demographic modelling of residential growth, demographic change and enrolment trends at schools across Victoria,” a Victorian Department of Education spokesperson said.
“This has resulted in the opening of second campuses of Docklands Primary School and North Melbourne Primary School.”
The new Costco will comprise 15,000sq m of space and 760 carparking spaces, with about 170 of its Docklands staff to work at it.
The entire project has an estimated cost of $110 million.
Costco plans the company’s largest fuel station in Australia, food court, tyre store and other services as well as its wholesale membership offering.
“We try to make sure we have everything that we’re known for to service the members best, so we need to have the right real estate space,” Costco Australia managing director Chris Tingman told the media at a sod-turning event last week.
The company also confirmed that the Docklands store would stay open until the Ardeer store had opened.
Costco has 14 other stores in Australia and has indicated its plans to open stores in North Sydney, South Sydney, North Perth, South Adelaide, Geelong and Hobart.
The company said it plans to open 20 to 25 new stores globally each year.
