Vermont South Shopping Centre

The Vermont South Shopping Centre is an indoor/outdoor retail complex located in the Melbourne suburb of Vermont South. Anchored by supermarket chains Aldi and Coles, it has about 50 specialty stores and parking for over 650 cars.

In 1964, Polish-born property developer Maurice Alter and several associates opened the highly-successful Forest Hills Shopping Centre at Canterbury Road, Forest Hill.^[1] Following its launch, real estate consultant Bill Gelfan advised the purchase of vast tracts of agricultural land at nearby Vermont South – which was soon to be rezoned for suburban development.^[2][3]

The developers acted on Gelfand's proposal, which set out to expand Forest Hills' catchment size and provide additional funding for its planned expansions. By 1968, Nunawading Council had finalised a masterplan for the Vermont South, designating land for a new shopping centre and adjoining community/education facilities.^[4] Residential land sales took place from 1969, but progress was suspended the following year following opposition from local residents.^[5]

Approval was eventually granted in early 1973 and architect Ray Barnard-Brown was hired to design the new centre. It was developed under the banner of Hanover Holdings, a prominent listed development company jointly controlled by Maurice Alter, George Herscu and Paul Fayman.^[6] The project was formally revealed at a shareholder meeting in June 1973, where it was also announced that 260 residential blocks would be built on an adjacent site.^[7]

The centre's original design comprised a rectangular retail block with large anchor stores on either end, tenanted by branches of the Venture department store and Coles New World supermarket chains.^[8] These were separated by an indoor mall of about 45 specialty stores. Shops line the front and rear service roads. A post office, a restaurant and a Mobil service station were developed concurrently.^[9]

Local skylight manufacturer Atlas was contracted to build unique, timber-boarded light shafts which remain a key architectural feature alongside occasional remnant brown brick, linoleum, and terrazzo details from the original centre.^[10] The centre's indoor mall section retains its original vermiculite-sprayed popcorn ceilings, which contain (sealed) asbestos – complicating internal renovation.^[11]

The Vermont South Shopping Centre was officially opened on 22 October 1974 by Joe Rafferty, who was the Victorian Minister for Labour And Industry and Minister for Consumer Affairs at the time.^[12]

The property was retained by Maurice Alter's Pacific Group after Hanover split in the late 1970s, and was acquired by Westpac in the 1980s. For the last few decades, the shopping centre has been owned by several entities through strata titles.^[13] In 1984, Architects Meldrum, Burrows & Partners were contracted to design visual and functional improvements. A new fascia design was implemented, the former Venture tenancy was divided to accommodate new tenants, and a total of seven new shops were established.^[14] The site was listed for sale again in April 1986.^[15]

The canopy above the centre's south entrance was extended in 1990 as part of a signage upgrade, however, this was later reverted as it was frequently struck by trucks on the service road. In 2013, supermarket chain Aldi acquired and renovated a large portion of the former department store tenancy –adding windows, a new loading dock, and modernised fittings.^[16]

A highly anticipated overhaul commenced in 2021 which included an internal and external repaint, removal of the carpet and replacement of the dilapidated facia/canopies.^[17] Shortly after renovations were completed, $10 million was invested into upgrading the 4216m² Coles supermarket, which received a new deli, bakery, fresh food section and upgraded click-and-collect facilities – opened by Micheal Sukkar MP in late August 2022. The Coles supermarket was sold later in the year for over $20 million.^[18][19]

The free-standing Prince of China take-away restaurant opened directly south of the centre c. 1975–76. The building was extended to accommodate a dining hall and became Bo On in mid-1987.^[20] The restaurant would later re-open as Han Palace in 2005 and as Crown Palace in 2006. In 2022, a proposal was put forward which would have seen demolition of the existing building and construction of a new restaurant with office space above, however, plans were put on hold due to rising interest rates. The building has since received extensive renovations and now operates as Ing Bulgogi, a Korean BBQ-buffet restaurant.^[21]

The Mobil service station at the corner of Hanover Road and Burwood Highway, which was built in 1974, was replaced by a block of 14 shops in 1990. As part of Nunawading Council's 1992 structure plan for the Vermont South Activity Centre, a prominent council-owned reserve at the corner of Livingstone Road and Burwood Highway was controversially rezoned from public use zone to restricted business zone. The plan also designated the area for a mix of office and retail development.^[22]

In 1994, Shell Australia proposed plans to subdivide the site for a 24-hour petrol station, drive-through McDonald's restaurant, Blockbuster video store, a cafe and several shops. The proposal caused controversy and objectors claimed it was a conflict of interest for the council as the sale of the land was conditional on council approving the subdivision.^[23]

Despite angst from the existing traders of the neighbouring Vermont South Shopping Centre, who feared overdevelopment, the project went ahead and was completed between 1995 and 1996.^[22] The Vermont South McDonald's opened in December 1995 and was remodelled in 2008.^[24] Due to the increasing popularity of video streaming services, the Blockbuster tenancy was replaced by a Snap Fitness gymnasium in 2012.^[25]