Local and national retail, commercial and private practice health clinic operators have joined the $1.5 billion new Footscray Hospital ahead of its opening in February next year.
Seventeen tenancies have been confirmed so far including well-known local and national brands HealthSmart Pharmacy, Shuji Sushi, Alleyway Kitchen, Zuppa, Milk & Moss operated by expert local operator Continental Hospitality Group, and a Western Bulldogs-themed childcare centre to care for 90 children for hospital workers and the local community.
Chair of the Plenary Health entity developing the precinct, Kelvyn Lavelle, said the strong retail offerings add further amenity to the many public spaces included in the precinct.
“We are delivering, as part of the new Footscray Hospital project, a vibrant, welcoming and community-focused hospital precinct that will welcome everyone,” Mr Lavelle said.
“The site has been designed to be accessible and permeable. It’s directly connected to Victoria University’s Footscray campus and will allow pedestrians easy-to-navigate entry points and walkways to access the new commercial tenancies adjacent to the public facility.
“The typically entrepreneurial spirit of this diverse community has seen strong interest in servicing the estimated daily footfall of up to 5,000 people across the VU campus and hospital precinct.”
Mr Lavelle said the $50 million Plenary and its commercial partners had invested in developing retail and commercial spaces at the new hospital precinct demonstrated the value capture and urban renewal benefits of private sector investing alongside government.
“Plenary’s significant investment is a demonstration of the private sector’s willingness to invest alongside the Victorian Government on community-shaping projects; effectively an investment multiplier opportunity when private capital is engaged in the delivery of significant public infrastructure,” he said.
Among the new tenants for the hospital precinct is the Little Social Café run by local social enterprise Youth Projects.
The café will provide young people in Melbourne’s west with hands-on skills and mentoring from industry experts, while reinvesting all profits from the cafe back into Youth Projects’ youth and homelessness programs.
Of the hospital precinct’s 9,000sqm of retail, commercial and health space, only one final food and beverage tenancy, a showroom, and specialist medical and allied health clinics remain available.
