Published on Tuesday, 27 June 2023 at 3:55:28 PM
At last night’s Council meeting, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Councillors authorised Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Brien to commence negotiations with Aldi for the purchase of Lot 500 (101 Brookman Street).
The City has an executed option to purchase 8346m2 of the 15,175m2 site. The purchase of the remainder of the site would provide the City with the ability to play a major role in the ongoing transformation of the Kalgoorlie Central Business District (CBD) and leverage the completion of the Kal City Centre project.
The decision to enter negotiations for the purchase was recommended to Council following Aldi informing the City it will not be proceeding with its planned development due to escalating construction, staffing and transport costs when operation under its national pricing model.
The report to Council outlined parameters for the negotiation. If successful, the City will be able to continue to facilitate the objectives of the City’s Community Strategic Plan, such as encouraging residential development or mixed zoning within the CBD to support retail enterprise.
Mayor John Bowler said although it was unfortunate to see Aldi was not proceeding with its plans, we understand that costs in the construction industry have increased considerably since their initial purchase of the site.
“We know many residents were looking forward to Aldi opening a store in Kalgoorlie and by purchasing the site from them, our aim is to continue advocating for its best use, and work closely with others potentially interested in the site.”
“The acquisition of the site represents a substantial opportunity for the City and Council to play a strategic role in the development and repositioning of the Kalgoorlie CBD.”
“The City has always seen the strategic value of this land parcel, hence the decision to previously acquire a portion of it.”
“It is an important location that will support future activation opportunities for the Kalgoorlie CBD and will complement the multi-million-dollar Kal City Centre.”
“Should we successfully purchase the site, the City will undergo a robust process to determine the best strategic options for it and work through those as quickly as possible.”
“This will include a full property assessment to identify strategic development opportunities for the land, which will be presented to Council for consideration.”
“It’s a fantastic time to invest in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and with recent announcements, there’s no doubt there will be strong interest in this site,” said Mayor Bowler.
The Kal City Centre is on track for a grand opening in the final quarter of this year, with major key features due to be installed over the next two months. The largest First Nations Art Installation will also feature in the new Centre with artists due to commence work in July
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