This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE southern hemisphere’s largest building materials display centre and largest indoor play and entertainment centre will form key planks of the $1.7 billion Humex business park and homemaker centre, announced by JTX International.
The Melbourne-based construction and development firm will deliver the 32-hectare project at Craigieburn in Melbourne’s north in a joint venture with Multiplex, which will include 150,000sqm of retail, office, medical, hotel and entertainment facilities.
The building materials displays centre will span five levels with more than 3,000 demonstration and display suites offering fixtures and fittings, furniture, internal and external finishes, electrical, plumbing, hire equipment and gardening products.
The 11,000sqm indoor play and entertainment centre will offer bounce, fly, climb and water play facilities, childcare, a bowling alley and indoor courts.
The four-floor, 7,000sqm medical centre will comprise a state-of-the-art surgical and allied healthcare space.
The project will also include a 12-level, 285-room hotel, 50,000sqm of bulky goods and showroom retail, 40 “business nursery” warehouse units, a convenience retail and service station, and parking 2,756 cars and 252 bicycles.
JTX chief executive, Anthony Elcheikh, said the 650 Hume Highway site was perfectly positioned for the landmark development which, according to Hume City Council, has the potential to be “an iconic built form at the (northern) gateway to the city”.
“The city of Hume is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Australia and will be one of the largest growth corridors in Victoria over the next 10-20 years,” Elcheikh said. “That enormous growth will require a level of services equal to that of a large regional centre. Humex is designed to deliver that,”
He said the project would also deliver a major economic boost for Hume with the creation of more than 5000 jobs both during construction and with the opening of scores of new Humex businesses.
“Humex is much more than a massive commercial development; it will also add significantly to the economic growth prospects of the City of Hume providing long-term local jobs and income,” Elcheikh said.
Elcheikh said Humex had been seven years in the making, with Hume council granting a permit for the site in November last year.
“Ultimately we believe we have designed a unique, one-stop destination, development that is worthy of landmark status, that will support the needs of the rapidly growing local population, and that will attract custom from right across Melbourne and indeed the country,” he added.
Savills and Knight Frank are the marketing agents for the project.
Knight Frank’s Tim Grant said the development would bring businesses from China to Hume to display their products, and also attract people from all over Australia and New Zealand to Hume.
Savills Keith Kooloos said Humex is a sorely-needed development that will offer retailers the sort of exceptional exposure and site access that only large scale developments can offer.
“Humex will find tremendous support from tenants and owner-occupiers seeking a quality space within a mixed use environment that services and supports the building of new homes, including big box retail, and the already established homes in the area,” Kooloos said. “The timing of the development and its gateway position in one of Australia’s fastest growing municipalities could hardly be better in terms of access to both homeowners and builders.”
Completion of the project is slated for 2018.
Australian Property Journal
