The Box Hill Central is a sub-regional shopping centre located in Victoria, Australia. Credit: Timothy Lau / Shutterstock.
The construction works for the redevelopment of Box Hill Central were commenced in July 2021. Credit: Vicinity Centres.
The redevelopment is part of a masterplan to develop the complex into a mixed-use area. Credit: Vicinity Centres.

The Box Hill Central shopping centre located in Box Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is being redeveloped into a mixed-use development.

The project is part of a ten-year vision to transform Box Hill Central into a world-class destination comprising a new town square and an integrated mixed-use precinct with retail, commercial, and residential spaces.

It is being undertaken by Australian real estate investment trust company Vicinity Centres, which is also the owner and developer of the Box Hill Central property. The construction work on the shopping centre redevelopment commenced in July 2021. It will cover more than 10,500m² of retail space on the ground floor, and car park lobby areas.

The phased mixed-use redevelopment project is estimated to involve a total investment of approximately A$2bn ($1.3bn).

Box Hill Central location and details

Box Hill Central is a sub-regional shopping complex located in the heart of Box Hill, approximately 15km east of the Melbourne central business district (CBD). The shopping centre is situated atop the Box Hill railway station. A major bus terminal is also situated at the same location.

The shopping complex comprises two centres, namely Box Hill Central (north precinct) and Box Hill Central (south precinct). Opened in 1975, Box Hill Central (north precinct) is a two-level shopping centre anchored by a Coles supermarket and houses more than 50 speciality stores.

Located immediately adjacent to the north precinct, Box Hill Central (south precinct) was first opened in 1987. It is a single-level shopping centre located above Box Hill station. The south precinct has a Woolworths supermarket as the anchor store and includes more than 90 speciality stores.

Box Hill Central redevelopment details

The Box Hill Central redevelopment will involve the installation of new facades, floors, ceilings, lighting and furniture to improve the shopping experience. Public circulation within the southern retail precinct will be improved with a new entrance and the introduction of dual-frontage restaurants facing Carrington Road and the internal centre avenue of the precinct.

The new southern entrance from Carrington Road will improve access from the surrounding street network. Furthermore, three new travelators and a new customer lift providing access to all levels of the car park will be installed.

The southern precinct will be reconfigured to accommodate new kiosks. The main internal avenue will be expanded to create space for three new permanent retail stores.

A new Coles supermarket is expected to be opened in mid-2022. Work will be completed in stages and completion will be marked by the planned launch of new restaurants in September 2022.

As part of the redevelopment, three levels of new commercial office space will be developed above Box Hill Central South. The new office space will have a dedicated entrance onto Carrington Road.

A proposal to transform the Box Hill Central North into a new mixed-use development precinct is also being considered. The development will comprise between 250,000m² and 300,000m² of residential and office space above the retail premises and a range of public spaces for the Box Hill community.

Retail offerings at Box Hill Central

Box Hill Central (north precinct) has a gross leasable area (GLA) of 14,638m². In addition to Coles, retailers within the precinct include Daiso, Dimmey’s, and Home Avenue. The north precinct houses 78 tenants.

The Box Hill Central (south precinct) boasts a GLA of 23,734m² and houses 110 tenants, including retailers such as Better Value Pharmacy, Merry Seasons, Kitchen Republik, and N2C Entertainment.

Amenities at Box Hill Central

Box Hill Central currently has more than 2,000 parking spaces, which can be easily accessed from Whitehorse Road, Carrington Road, Station Street, and Prospect Street. The north precinct has 866 parking spaces while the south precinct offers parking for up to 1,496 vehicles.

The shopping centre features three parents’ rooms, including one on the north precinct at the rear end of the north food court and two on the south precinct.

Rooms for persons with disabilities are located in the north building, including one on the lower level and another behind the food court on the upper level.

Lost-and-found assistance and free Wi-Fi are offered to shoppers in both the precincts.