Speculation is mounting that development giant GPT is finally poised to move on its stalled $250 million West Keira shopping centre development.The company is remaining tight-lipped on its plans, but is understood to have ramped up activity in recent months by holding talks with stakeholders and sending architects, consultants and project teams to assess the site.One stakeholder told the Mercury GPT representatives had signalled the project was likely to proceed, but they were reluctant to raise false hopes."The psychology is if they come out and [recommit] … and it falls over, they have raised expectations and it will flatten everyone," he said.The six-storey development, on the corner of Crown and Keira streets in Wollongong, was to include a supermarket, specialty shops, a 760-seat food court and cinemas.The University of Wollongong has committed to housing 350 students in an adjoining residential complex.Considered a catalyst to the city centre's much-needed rejuvenation, the plan won development approval but was shelved in September 2008 after the global financial crisis.In November last year, then-Keira MP David Campbell strongly criticised the company's long delay, saying it risked gaining a reputation for "demoralising communities".The city of Newcastle was left devastated when GPT abandoned a $600 million shopping centre plan.But an approach by GPT earlier this year to national construction firm Hansen Yuncken, asking for an updated price tag on the West Keira complex, raised hopes the project could soon get a green light.The firm's development manager Steven Turner confirmed GPT representatives and consultants had visited Wollongong in recent weeks but insisted it was "nothing unusual"."We've still got quite a few hurdles to get through," he said."We have been briefing the Property Council and [Wollongong] council about where we are up to, but there is nothing more to it than that."He said modifications to the original development consent were possible, and GPT was trying to determine how an application would be handled by the state's new planning regime now that Part 3a laws have been scrapped by the O'Farrell government.Mr Turner said GPT was in talks with major retailers to secure key tenants to the project, and was keeping a close eye on the $14 million Crown St Mall refurbishment and the general outlook for the Wollongong CBD.Talks between GPT and Myer over a smaller $30 million makeover for the ageing southern side of Crown St Mall are also ongoing, he said.