August 18, 2015

Student facility improvements on the way with UniCentre development

Students will enjoy big improvements to retail, dining and health, services thanks to refurbishments underway and proposed at the University of Wollongong’s UniCentre.

The $4.3 million dollar upgrade to the campus’ main shopping, dining, social, event and services hub includes an IGA grocery outlet, proposed expansion of medical and health services, refurbished food hall, kitchen refit, and a new retail space. The area will be further enhanced with landscaping, alfresco terrace extending from the food hall and pedestrian access.

The development application for the upgrade recently submitted to Wollongong City Council went on public exhibition last week.

After refocusing its function business around large events held in the University Hall, UniCentre has redeveloped a number of smaller function rooms to make way medical and health services relocating the existing campus health doctor and dentist practices with lounge and seminar room as well as scope to attract a pathology lab and future pharmacy.

The University Hall kitchen is being refurbished to better service large functions and the existing food hall, which is the campus’ main indoor dining venue, will be modernised with new furniture, décor and a more flexible layout that improves its capacity during wet weather or special events.

Retail options will be expanded with the installation of an IGA grocery outlet, incorporating a DIY meal preparation facility, while the existing DIY food retailer will be replaced by a new non-food retail tenant as part of the redevelopment.

New timber decking and paving will enhance the area, while trees and gardens will screen the loading dock facilities for an improved streetscape on Northfields Ave.

Work began on stage one of the 10-month project—the refit of the University Hall kitchen—in July. The campus health, proposed medical spaces along with office occupancy is scheduled for completion in early December, while the upgraded food court is planned to be ready for the start of Autumn session next year. The IGA installation and new retail space are planned to be completed by early to mid-April 2016.

UOW Chief Administration Officer, Melva Crouch, said the UniCentre development has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the growing student population on campus.

“Providing these new and improved facilities on campus will not only enhance the experience our students enjoy but also prepare us to service the growing number of students being accommodated on campus in the coming years.

“This new development also benefits the local community by reducing traffic movements currently being created by staff and students leaving campus to access essential services,’ Ms Crouch said.

The public exhibition period for the proposal ends on 26 August 2015.