Dexus Eyes $100m Sale for Brisbane Retail Centre

Dexus Wholesale Property Fund are looking to offload a 100 per cent freehold interest in Beenleigh Marketplace, a sub-regional shopping centre located 32-kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD.

The 19,476 square metre asset, which last transacted in 2013, is anchored by Woolworths and Big W and spans a 60,680sq m site.

The landholding also includes 4,390sq m of adjoining land earmarked for further development.

JLL head of retail investments Simon Rooney has been appointed to market the expressions of interest campaign amid weak sentiment in the retail property sector.

“Investors are pursuing a low-risk retail strategy at present,” he said.

Rooney said investors were targeting small and mid-sized sub-regional centres with a major focus on retail services along with food and beverage offerings.

“F&B has consistently been the fastest growing retail category over the last five, 10 and 20 years, which underpins solid leasing demand.”

Related: Dexus Seizes Whole Block In $1.48bn Deal

Recent transactions for sub-regional centres include the Rockdale Plaza sale in Sydney purchased by Charter Hall for $142 million last month, Sydney’s Neeta City purchased by Elanor Investors for $85.3 million in March, and Melbourne’s Campbellfield Plaza bought by Charter Hall for $74 million in December last year.

Transaction activity was highest within the $50-million to $150-million bracket for retail property last year.

Rooney said the Beenleigh retail hub outperforms the industry averages with total centre moving annual turnover (MAT) of $113.7 million.

Beenleigh, located in the city of Logan, has a current population of 83,570 which is expected to increase 2.1 per cent annually to 2031.

The expressions of interest campaign closes on June 6.