National retailers JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks would establish stores in the city's east under a $6 million plan lodged with Warrnambool City Council.
A planning permit application has been received for 65 and 69 Raglan Parade where Motel Warrnambool and Gateway Motor Inn are currently located in the city's east, about 400 metres from the Homemaker Centre.
Geelong-based planning consultancy Tract Consultants lodged the application on behalf of its client.
The application details plans for a 3500-square metre building with Officeworks to occupy 1600 square metres and JB Hi-Fi to occupy the rest. The single-storey building would have a maximum height of 8.75 metres.
The application includes 103 car parking spaces with two spots for people with disabilities and two 'click and collect' bays.
The estimated cost of the project is $6million.
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The two parcels of land to be developed have a net area of 0.834 hectares and a highway frontage of almost 94 metres.
The proposed site of the new retail premises adjoins vacant land at 71 Raglan Parade, which has been set aside for future residential land.
The vacant site and Gateway Motor Inn was part of land at 69-83 Raglan Parade previously earmarked for a 4000-square metre Kaufland store in August 2019 but the German supermarket giant withdrew from the Australia market in January 2020.
The planning permit application said the building's architectural style was "commensurate with a typical bulky goods retailing development and primarily features painted pre-cast panel construction with glazed entries".
"The proposed material palette utilises coloured finishes that are distinctively associated with the Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi branding where visible from the car parking areas and adjacent commercial site at 53-63 Raglan Parade," the application said.
While the construction of a pylon sign structure is proposed, it and the display of signs on the structure would be dealt with in a future planning permit application.
The application is out for public comment until Monday, January 10 at the Warrnambool Civic Centre.
The retailers' proposed arrival can't come soon enough for residents who for years have been calling for the major operators to open stores in Warrnambool.
The Standard asked readers earlier this month which retailers they would like to see in the city following a story about large operators looking to establish stores in Warrnambool as many shopping and bulk good precincts had reached 100 per cent occupancy.
The overwhelming reader response was for Big W, JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks to open stores here.
In the December 5 story, the council's city growth director Andrew Paton said Warrnambool was on the radar of an increased number of retailers and he was receiving the most level of investment inquiry he'd ever had.
The Standard contacted Big W to see if it had plans to open a Warrnambool store but a spokeswoman said it was unlikely "at this stage".
"It's humbling to hear that the community would love to see BIG W open a store in Warrnambool, however we don't have plans to open a store in the area at this stage," the spokeswoman said.
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