Merrifield set to expand
Merrifield joint venture partners MAB and GPC have acquired an additional 131 hectares of land in Donnybrook Road as part of an expansion of Merrifield that will include approximately 900 residential lots alongside approximately 60 hectares of industrial land.
This will provide Merrifield with the capacity to deliver in excess of 8,000 homes and accommodate a residential population of more than 25,000 people within the rapidly expanding northern growth corridor of Melbourne.
MAB Chief Operating Officer, David Hall said the expansion will increase Merrifield’s focus on becoming the new epicentre of Melbourne’s north, providing an employment hub with capacity to create around one-third of all new jobs planned in the corridor.
“Our vision for Merrifield has always been to create a new city for Melbourne’s north and to provide a new way of living in Melbourne’s growth areas, by delivering a strong local economy and diverse employment precincts in close proximity to where people live.”
The additional industrial land included in the acquisition now provides Merrifield with more than 300 hectares of saleable industrial land and further strengthens the project’s emphasis on employment.
“The result is more residents, more job opportunities and the ability to push forward on delivering key services for the Merrifield community,” said David.
Merrifield Jobs
We are excited to announce our new Merrifield Jobs Portal.
Merrifield Jobs is a new destination for listings on local jobs, both within Merrifield and the surrounding area.
Sign up now to start searching for local jobs, access employment support information and community noticeboards, and to apply for member only listings.
Local employers are also encouraged to register and post available positions.
Merrifield Project Director Matt Planner expects the portal to grow into a key online tool for the community.
“We are committed to facilitating local jobs for local people,” said Matt.
The first positions available in Merrifield were at the state-of-the-art Dulux facility, due to open in October.
These roles were quickly filled!
Over the next 6-12 months, additional jobs are anticipated to be created at both the Merrifield Business Park and M Square.
Register for free today!
WWW.MERRIFIELDJOBS.COM.AU
Meet the Carltons
The ability to secure a large block of land to build their dream home was a drawcard for new Merrifield residents Amy and Ryan Carlton, along with gorgeous pup Bowie.
“The price of land was really competitive,” said Amy.
“We are in our early 20s, so to own land of this size in such a beautiful development is something we are proud of.”
Prior to calling Merrifield home, Amy and Ryan were living with the in-laws. “For way too long!” joked Amy. “But that did enable us to take our time researching the best development that would support us for the long term, especially once we start a family.
“Merrifield really stood out for us,” added Amy. “We loved the overall vision and felt it would meet our needs for the next 10, 15, 20 years. We could visualise raising our family here.”
Amy and Ryan love coming home to Merrifield after a hard day’s work.
“There is already such a great sense of community, and we love the programs and events on offer. It’s very friendly.”
A passionate voice for community consultation
Merrifield has just completed its first Community Consultation process with a massive thank you to all the current and future residents that participated in the community survey and drop-in session.
Merrifield Community Development Manager Tennille Bradley-Ow said that there was an incredibly high level of engagement.
“We were delighted to receive over 118 surveys representing 334 residents, 84 online surveys completed by future residents and over 150 people participating in the community drop-in session,” said Tennille. “These are big numbers and something our community should be proud of.”
The Merrifield team is currently reviewing the data and will provide further updates in the next edition of The Big Picture.
“In the meantime, let’s keep the conversation going,” said Tennille.
Over the next 12 months, four Community Conversation Sessions will be held providing an opportunity for residents and future residents to connect and continue to engage with the Merrifield team.
These sessions will be informal and are guaranteed to involve food!
Building a new shopping mecca in Melbourne’s north
The joint venture development of a new regional shopping centre in Melbourne’s rapidly expanding northern growth corridor has been announced between two of Melbourne’s leading developers and one of Australia’s largest institutional fund managers.
The centre will be developed by QIC, the group behind the $665 million transformation of Eastland, in partnership with MAB Corporation (MAB) and Gibson Property Corporation (GPC), the developers of Merrifield.
The 50% joint venture between MAB/GPC and QIC comprises a 30 hectare site within the Merrifield city centre, set to provide a cutting-edge retail experience and setting new benchmarks for commercial design in Melbourne’s north.
The site has been masterplanned with the capacity to deliver more than 200,000 square metres of retail floor space and act as the centrepiece for those living and working in Merrifield.
The centre will be built in a staged manner to support the growing residential population and local business community.
Managing Director of QIC Global Real Estate, Steven Leigh said the long-term development will comprise a best-in-class major town centre delivered in a number of stages to service Melbourne’s northern growth corridor.
“The initial stage of the development is planned to comprise a major supermarket and a range of specialty retailers,” Mr Leigh said.
“We are pleased to bring our expert knowledge in creating large-scale town centre destinations to this significant masterplanned community development.
“During the past 20-plus years we have acquired and developed a retail portfolio of 37 real estate assets globally.
“Our recently completed developments at Eastland in Melbourne’s east and The Kitchens at Robina Town Centre on the Gold Coast demonstrate our commitment to creating destinations that provide lifestyle, recreation, entertainment and dining experiences, in addition to an exceptional retail offer,” Mr Leigh said.
MAB Corporation Managing Director Andrew Buxton said the centre will cater to the needs of the growing population within Melbourne’s northern growth corridor, which is expected to increase from 405,000 people in 2015 to 658,000 by 2040*.
“MAB and GPC are very excited about this partnership as it signals another significant step in realising our live, work, play vision for Merrifield,” Mr. Buxton said. “This new precinct is planned to deliver not just an amazing retail offer – planned to be the best in Melbourne’s north – but also access to a range of dining and entertainment options.”
“Considering the rate of development already experienced at Merrifield, we anticipate that stage one of the centre could be trading as early as mid-2019,” added Mr. Buxton.
Look out for further updates in future editions of The Big Picture.
*MAB Merrifield Economic Assessment and Market Profile,conducted by Essential Economics
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