The construction of a highly anticipated Bunnings Warehouse Store in Frenchs Forest has commenced, marking the hardware giant’s first warehouse store in New South Wales with three levels of retail.
The $48-million development, located at the intersection of Warringah, Allambie, and Rodborough Roads, has already seen the demolition of an Australia Post distribution centre and a two-storey office block to make way for the massive, five-storey store.
The Northern Beaches Council recently approved a slight modification to the development application, allowing all floor levels to be raised by 50 centimetres. However, the internal height of the Level 2 warehouse will be decreased correspondingly.
According to the council, this modification does not alter the overall height of the building and will not be noticeable from the building’s exterior.
Construction will also include the installation of footings and retaining walls. The project aims to be completed by early 2025 and is expected to generate over 800 jobs, including 700 during construction and around 135 vacancies for retail workers.
Bunnings anticipates that the Frenchs Forest store will become a haven for DIY enthusiasts, tradies, and professional builders in the Northern Beaches area.
Unlike Bunnings’ local outlets at Warringah Mall, Belrose, Balgowlah, and Narrabeen, the Frenchs Forest store will offer three levels of retail. This will include a wide range of hardware and building supplies, an outdoor garden centre, a large café, and a kids’ playground. The development will also feature two levels of parking, accommodating close to 400 vehicles.
The approval of the Bunnings development application by the NSW Government’s Sydney North Planning Panel in February 2021 came after a disagreement between Bunnings and the Northern Beaches Council regarding safe vehicle access to the site from Allambie Rd.
Concerns were raised about potential road safety issues and conflicts with pedestrians due to the building’s proximity to the busy intersection. Some members of the community remain concerned about increased traffic in the area, particularly with the upcoming construction of The Forest High School approximately 400 meters away on Allambie Rd.
Another point of conflict involved the size of the Bunnings Warehouse logos and signs, as well as the building’s predominantly green color scheme. Bunnings has agreed to reduce the size of the logo by 33 percent on Rodborough Rd, remove several hammer logos from the rest of the building, and limit the use of green paint on the facades.
Michael Staines, Bunnings Area Manager, expressed delight in confirming the commencement of construction for the new store in Frenchs Forest. He assured the local community that updates on the development’s progress will be provided in due course.
Published 7-June-2023