Frasers Receive Green Light for Green Mall in Australian Retail First

Frasers Property has been greenlit for development of their Burwood Brickworks mall with grand plans to create the world’s most sustainable retail shopping centre.

The masterplan for the development also includes 700 homes ranging from freestanding and semi-detached terrace housing and apartments expected to hit the market later this year.

The mall will feature an urban roof-top, a mix of on-site rooftop solar PV and off-site renewable energy, and utilise the latest in battery storage to generate 105 per cent of the building’s energy.

The developer is investing up to $14 million of sustainability features as it aims for the highest global sustainability standard: The Living Building Challenge certification.

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Construction commenced on Tuesday, with Melbourne-based builder Hacer Group at the helm, after Whitehorse City Council gave its stamp of approval.

Frasers Property general manager for residential in Victoria Sarah Bloom said the new community will set a new benchmark for what’s possible in sustainable urban design.

“This project exemplifies everything we stand for: building sustainable, liveable communities that promote the long-term health and wellbeing of our residents and, especially in the case of Burwood Brickworks, for visitors too."

Sustainability expert Joost Bakker is consulting on the urban rooftop farm which will offer a “paddock to plate” style offering for customers.

“The vision and design for the centre seeks to re-invent the way we think about sustainable mixed-use developments and food sourcing,” Bakker said.

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Frasers Property is targeting 6 Star Green Star Design and As-Built ratings for the shopping centre, designed by Melbourne-based NH Architecture, which will be an Australian retail first.

The mixed-use project, which aims to be completed by late 2019, is expected to create almost 3,000 new jobs, including more than 700 ongoing jobs in the shopping centre.

Frasers Property executive general manager Peri Macdonald said emphasis on the visitor experience is a central consideration.

“And this means an engaging mix of retailers and a vibrant dining precinct in the most comfortable environment imaginable,” Macdonald said.

A full-line 4200sq m Woolworths, a proposed Dan Murphy’s, a cinema, child care centre, medical centre, along with health and fitness operators will anchor the 12,700sq m shopping centre.