Construction is underway on $1.5 billion Ripley Town Centre, which will go on to service the rapidly growing Ripley Valley region in the Western Corridor of Ipswich.
The development will create a new regional hub that will service up to 120,000 people expected to call the Ripley Valley home over the next 20 years.
Ripley Town Centre developer Sekisui House, which is also behind the $500 million Ecco Ripley residential community, announced the start of construction earlier this week.
“The commencement of construction for the Ripley Town Centre is a game-changer for Ecco Ripley and the western growth corridor,” Sekisui House Australia CEO Toru Abe said.
“This is the beginning of what we believe will become an important commercial and community heart for Ripley Valley and South East Queensland for many years to come.
“Ripley Town Centre is a milestone project that will be a catalyst for continued growth of the region.”
Brisbane-based Hutchinson Builders, one of Australia’s largest construction companies, commenced work in February on what is destined to become a thriving new heart for the Ipswich region.
The Ripley Town Centre is expected to be a major growth catalyst for the Ripley Valley and will comprise a broad range of commercial and retail spaces, a dining precinct, regional transit hub and community, residential and entertainment facilities.
It will comprise a marketplace-style centre totalling 9,400 square metres, anchored by a 3,800 square metre Coles supermarket and supported by 20 specialty stores, a medical centre and commercial office space.
Able believes the scale of the project is comparable to Springfield and Northlakes; both of which have been pivotal in improving capital values and building strong communities with their own unique identity.
Ripley Town Centre is also working towards Five Star Green Star Rating through energy efficiency measures, including rainwater harvesting and the use of photovoltaic solar panels on roofs and car park shade structures.
Ripley Town Centre is a staged project that will be developed in line with population growth, supported by a transport hub that can accommodate bus and rail services. Provision has been made for a rail corridor connecting to the Springfield and Ipswich line.
The project incorporates new generation urban design principles to include a range of open spaces, featuring the Ripley Town Park that backs onto Bundamba Creek. The design also includes the latest fibre-optic network connections for businesses and residences.
Ripley Town Centre alone is expected to create 20,000 new jobs for Ripley Valley when fully completed. It will also bring 257,000 square metres of gross commercial, office and retail floor space to the market and create 2,000 new dwellings.
The broader Ecco Ripley project, which will ultimately comprise 4,000 homes housing about 10,000 people, is expected to be a key player in accommodating forecasts of a near doubling of the City of Ipswich population to around 327,000 by 2041.
The first stage of Ripley Town Centre has a project value of $40 million and will create 100 construction jobs and 100 ongoing jobs on completion in March 2018.
Originally Published: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com
