A chocolate shop, sushi retailer, burger store and Cuban cafe and bar will join discount department store Target in GPT's new Wollongong development when it opens this year.
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After announcing Target would take up 3000 square metres of retail space in the $200 million Wollongong Central expansion, the developer yesterday announced three of the flagship food brands set to front its CBD premises.
Chocolatier Max Brenner, Sushi Bay and Melbourne-based burger eatery Grill'd will line the Keira Street side of the development when it opens by October.
Tapas, cocktail and coffee franchise Coco Cubano has also lodged a liquor licence application, signalling plans to set up shop in Wollongong.
GPT development manager Steven Turner said he was confident the new stores would be popular with shoppers and boost Wollongong's economy.
"The city centre doesn't have a discount department store, and that has been the number one request from people - to have one of those stores - and the number one brand they asked for is Target," he said.
"We actually didn't originally perceive that Target would be part of this development, but the community demand was so great."
He said the CBD site had already attracted significant interest from restaurateurs and foot outlets, meaning progress on finding retailers to fill the specialty shops was "well advanced".
"Between now and June we'll have the building fully leased, so we'll be able to release which stores will open week by week, as the leases are finalised," he said.
Target - which already has outlets at Shellharbour and Warrawong - and the four restaurants will join Coles, Liquorland and JB Hi-Fi, along with about 80 other speciality shops and food outlets.
Target's general manager of store development Rob McCartney said around 80 people would find work at the Wollongong store.