Upscaled Retail Centre Planned for Brisbane Growth Corridor

A sports-loving Brisbane developer has filed upscaled plans for a shopping centre development on a site the size of 17 rugby league fields in the city’s northern growth corridor.

Oxmar Properties’ proposal is for an expansion of its approved Narangba Heights local centre development plans, which were given the green light more than three years ago after a legal stoush.

It is earmarked for a 6.7ha greenfield corner site at Sovereign Drive, Narangba, at the entrance to the developer’s Narangba Heights residential estate.

Oxmar Properties founder and director Phil Murphy is a longstanding major shareholder in the Brisbane Broncos NRL team. He also was a financial backer for homegrown boxer Jeff Horn, who secured the welterweight world title at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in 2017.

Shortly after, Murphy was forced to put on his developer gloves for a fight in the Planning and Environment Court when his developer brother, who had plans for a shopping centre on a neighbouring Narangba site, appealed the approval of the Oxmar Properties development.

The court eventually upheld the Moreton Bay Regional Council's decision.

Oxmar Properties’ newly revised plans are for an expansion of its approved local centre with an increase in gross floor area from 6689sq m to 12,745sq m and carparking from 300 to 564 spaces.

“The proposed development provides for a range of retail, commercial, community and other activities that cluster within an integrated and focused local centre,” the submitted planning documents said.

“The local centre will expand upon the facilities within the approved local centre to further reinforce a neighbourhood activity node in this location, which is central to the residential areas that it services.”

Overall, it would have a maximum 9948sq m of retail tenancies, 973sq m of commercial space, 1004sq m for community uses and 820sq m for other uses.

It would be spread across 12 one and two-storey buildings connected by an “main street” pedestrian spine.

According to the development application, the design approach by V Architecture provides for “an amenity and character consistent with the expectations of a modern local centre in terms of active frontages, walkability and civic spaces, together with reasonable car parking access”.

The upscaled plans would include an Aldi store adjacent to the centre’s planned full-line supermarket, additional retail, commercial and community buildings as well as a food and drink outlet, a childcare centre and a mixed-use building for a range of uses including healthcare, indoor sport and recreation (such as a gymnasium and swim school), a veterinary surgery, specialist retail and a tyre and auto centre.

Key features of the original approval—including a full-line supermarket, service station, specialty retail and commercial spaces would be maintained.

The DA for the extended design noted the initial approved plans were limited generally to the eastern part of the site and the current application was proposing “to build upon the footprint and development approaches as considered appropriate in the current approval and extend these into a new development scheme over the whole site”.

A new connection road is proposed on the western part of the site to provide access to the approved residential subdivision to its south as well as allowing for an additional access point.

“The development is well-positioned to serve existing and future residents and will greatly increase the amenity and convenience of the centre by providing a greater range of community and commercial uses,” the DA said.