Brisbane’s iconic Indooroopilly Shopping Centre is transformed to showcase the future of retail
DMA Partners was engaged to manage the execution of an $85 million repositioning strategy comprising of a series of development projects spanning four years.
Located 7km from the Brisbane CBD, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre is a super-regional shopping centre with a gross lettable area of 116,000sqm. Home to more than 320 tenants, including Myer, David Jones, Coles, Woolworths, ALDI, Kmart, Target and a 16-screen cinema, the centre has parking for more than 4,500 cars and is serviced by nearby bus and rail connections.
Under the management of AMP Capital, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre has been revitalised via $85 million worth of development projects delivered over four years. AMP Capital engaged DMA Partners in 2018 to manage the execution of a repositioning strategy aimed at enhancing the customer experience to drive growth, boost centre performance and future-proof the iconic retail asset.
A common theme across the program of work was to elegantly integrate the ‘old’ and ‘new’ parts of the centre, bring identity and character to the different levels and zones, and introduce more landscaping and greenery to capture the feel of Brisbane’s enviable sub-tropical lifestyle.
Working collaboratively with the centre’s development team, DMA Partners managed various design and construction teams from mid-2018 to the end of 2022 to successfully deliver these large, multi-stage projects in a complex live operational environment.
“Ensuring the seamless integration of numerous sub-projects running in parallel with minimal disruption to existing tenants and customers – particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic – was exceptionally challenging,” said David Valentine, Associate at DMA Partners.
“We were able to deliver to the owner’s vision throughout the projects by building a genuine partnership with the centre’s development and management teams. This close working relationship saw us collaborating to minimise overlaps and hold-ups and identify time and cost savings at every stage – from design management and cost planning to contractor engagement, construction and completion”
“Stakeholder management was also critical to the project – aside from tenants, employees and customers, there were teams as diverse as marketing, operations, car park management, security, cleaning and maintenance to consult and communicate with,” said David.
Creating the iconic 2,400sqm Automall West
DMA Partners worked alongside AMP Capital and Eagers Automotive Limited to manage the landlord’s works component of the Automall West project, an Australian-first shopping experience.
Housed across three levels of the shopping centre, Automall West is home to leading brands including Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volkswagen and Alfa Romeo. It offers an innovative retail approach for these automotive brands and revolutionises the car buying and maintenance experience for consumers.
The creation of Automall West required the removal and relocation of close to 30 existing tenancies to create a 2,400sqm, tri-level area featuring a new car showroom, unique used car kiosk, and express valet car servicing. Proactive project management supported the delivery of this innovative space with minimal disruption to tenants and customers.
Improving customer circulation throughout the centre
Enhancing the customer experience at all touchpoints was an overarching aim of the revitalisation project. From streamlining the customer journey in and out of the centre’s car parks to making it easier to travel between retail levels and providing better access and circulation to the food court, several sub-projects combined to improve connectivity and pedestrian flow.
Car park improvements included a focus on electronic signage and the use of colour to support wayfinding. A new ramp was constructed, car parking reconfigured, and the bus interchange revamped to improve traffic circulation.
Within the centre, older escalator units were replaced, and new escalators introduced to support more efficient shopper journeys. The mall skylight was redesigned to capture extra light and enhanced with timber finishes and cascading greenery. Extensive ambience works included the construction of a modern water feature to pay homage to the centre’s much-loved water fountain from the 1970s.
Revitalising the food court and fresh food precinct
DMA Partners managed works to transform the centre’s food court into a vibrant casual dining precinct. The existing food court was completely demolished and reconstructed; skilled project management supported food court tenants who continued trading throughout the construction period.
New furniture, lighting and ceiling treatments were installed, and communal hand wash stations with filtered drinking water taps were created to support a renewed focus on hygiene post-COVID-19. Additional pedestrian links give shoppers more convenient access and improve foot traffic flow throughout this area.
The fresh food precinct was overhauled to provide a more welcoming feel. Heavy columns were removed, and feature lighting installed to create a spacious atmosphere, an enticing children’s play area was also part of the redesign.
Indooroopilly Shopping Centre’s impressive transformation was realised due to the strength of the working relationship between DMA Partners and the centre’s development and management teams. Delivering $85 million worth of projects across multiple stages required expert communication and stakeholder management, and true collaboration at all stages of the project lifecycle.
DMA Partners is proud to have played a critical role in delivering an outstanding result for the owners of the centre.
