$3.5m Dampier Shopping Centre under way with a focus on creating a community, hospitality and office precinct

A focus on creating a community-centred retail, hospitality and office precinct is at the heart of a $3.5 million redevelopment of the run-down Dampier Shopping Centre. The refurbishment and redevelopment of the old shopping centre is being completed by Scope Property Group and will see the facility overhauled and re-branded as the Dampier Village Centre. Scope recently bought the final two strata units at the site, allowing it to begin work on the $3.5m project. The four south-facing retail spaces have been refurbished as part of the work, with Hullabaloo cafe now residing in the complex. Work has begun on the outdoor landscaping and entertainment spaces featuring an alfresco and shaded area linking the facility to the outdoor amenities next to the Dampier Community Centre. Further development planned for next year will create 11 retail and office spaces adjacent to Dampier Food and Liquor inside the shopping centre. Scope Property Group director Robert Engelhard said early stage work on the redevelopment was progressing exceptionally well. “We’ve had great feedback already from customers of Hullabaloo. It was always an amazing cafe, and the refurbished, larger premises now make it an even more inviting place to visit,” he said. The project comes on the heels of the City of Karratha approving the Dampier Masterplan, which was endorsed by the council in February. The plan aims to optimise the appeal of Dampier as a great place to stay and visit, focusing on public life, a new improved public realm and good connections to the waterfront. Under the master plan, the City aims to support and encourage the upgrade, enhancement and reconfiguration of the existing shopping centre. Key projects in the document include the creation of a sporting hub at Windy Ridge Oval and a new caravan park. Mr Engelhard said Scope’s priority was to support the community by creating a welcoming place for residents and visitors to enjoy now and well into the future. “Dampier is a unique coastal oasis in the Pilbara, and the Dampier community and the City of Karratha are rightly very passionate about the types of enhancements they want to see in the future,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see local people embracing the work that’s been done so far, and we’re really excited about what lies ahead for Dampier, for the people who live here, and for people who visit this very special part of Western Australia.”