Coles Eyes Expansion in Melbourne’s Second City

Grocery giant Coles has flagged a substantial redevelopment of one of its sites in regional Victoria.

Slated for redevelopment is the site at 159-162 High Street, Belmont, a suburn of Geelong about 85km south-west of Melbourne.

Inder the plans, an existing supermarket building will make way for a larger, more contemporary building.

A Liquorland outlet would also be added.

The site has frontages to High and Church streets, Belmont Walk and Discovery Lane. 

Plans by Clarke Hopkins Clarke include a public art wall to showcase local art.

There will also be a forecourt and a canopy on High Street to extend the building presence into the that street’s retail precinct.

Amenities for the existing bus service on High Street would be improved. 

▲ A render of the new High Street frontage for the supermarket.

The new building’s expanded footprint would take up existing car parking space on either side of the current building, near Belmont Walk and Discovery Lane, with parking retained on the High Street side along with entry and exits from Belmont Walk and High Street, and space for 21 cars above ground.

The remainder of the car parking would be moved to a new basement level offering 161 spaces and accessed via the High Street car park.

Also in Geelong, work is progressing on the $456-million Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre, which will transform 1.6ha of waterfront land into a events precinct to “revitalise the city and regional economy”.

As the centrepiece of the Geelong City Deal, the precinct will include the purpose-built convention and exhibition space, incorporating a 1000-seat venue, two large exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, conference facilities and flexible event spaces, overlooking Corio Bay.