Scentre Group’s Westfield Knox has finalised the vision for stage 2 of its $355 million Living Centre transformation, with a swim school, new food court, improved parking experience and environmental updates to form part of its transformation.
The introduction of a swim school concept, relocation of the existing food court, a new parking management system and other centre initiatives will complement an expansive mix of new amenities and customer experiences.
The 25-metre swimming pool will be built to offer swimming lessons for children up to 12 years of age. Located at the new Northern Entry, the swim school will feature quality amenities and programs to service the local community, operating from 6am – 9pm daily.
The swim school will feature quality amenities and programs to service the local community
The swim school will be operated by Aquatic Achievers, a well-established provider with experience operating swim schools at Ferntree Gully, as well as more locations across NSW, QLD and the ACT.
As part of the reconfiguration of Westfield Knox, the existing food court on Level 2 will be upgraded and relocated in 2023. The new food court experience has been designed with families and large groups in mind. It will feature a range of seating options, a large-scale skylight and an abundance of greenery, with mature trees and indoor planting throughout.
Taking over the existing food court space is a new mini-major retail precinct that will become home to a mix of new and existing retail brands, to be announced.
Westfield Knox
Westfield Knox Centre Manager, Kristian Nicholls said: “Our community has been the brains trust behind the planning for Westfield Knox.
“Swim schools, basketball courts, libraries and multi-purpose community facilities aren’t things you’d typically associate with your local Westfield centre. The input we’ve received from our community to date has made us think differently about how we can better use and optimise the existing space, so we can mean more things to more people.
“To now step back and look at the whole plan, is quite extraordinary. What we are delivering is a world-class retail, social and lifestyle destination that reflects the day-to-day lives and aspirations of the Knox customer. With so much progress happening on site, we can’t wait to see it all come to life.”
A new professional basketball court forms part of the new Westfield Knox
The investment will see the introduction of a new parking management system from next year. Complete with licence plate recognition and guidance technology, the new system will help ease congestion and make it quicker and easier for customers to find a park. The majority of customers will continue to park for free, with a free parking period of up to 3 hours available to all customers and up to 4 hours for Westfield Plus members. There will also be a reduced rate for retail partners and their employees.
New environmental initiatives helping to improve the centre’s energy, water and emissions intensity will also feature throughout the centre. These include a new onsite glass crushing system, a food waste composting system, new smart bin recycling technology in the food court and an onsite rainwater harvesting tank to support landscaping irrigation. A large rooftop solar system will be implemented to generate onsite renewable electricity.
