More than 200 people were given an early peek inside Kingston’s new Spring Farm Village on Friday ahead of its opening next Wednesday, with pre-opening tours drawing strong community interest.
Scott Spanton, CEO of developer Tipalea Partners, said the response from the community was overwhelmingly positive as he personally showed them around the site.
“They were excellent, really engaging,” he told Pulse.
The tours drew a mix of local council staff, councillors, community members, emergency services workers and consultant teams.
“It was good to bring emergency services through to show them the ins and outs and the back-of-house stuff,” he said.
“They’re super impressed with the amount of cameras and the fire suppression systems we have.”
He said community members were “blown away” by the size of the new Coles and the generous spaces throughout the centre, including the bathrooms and parent’s room.
Almost all retailers are on track to open on time, with some working around the clock to be ready.
“Some of them are working 24/7 at the moment to get things done,” Spanton said.
Coles and RACT will both hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies on opening day, with a larger family fun day planned for Saturday, May 30, featuring prizes, workshops and kids’ activities.
RACT has provided local services in Kingston for more than 30 years and will use the move from Channel Court to Spring Farm Village to expand its offering, including roadside assistance, membership and insurance services alongside a growing driver school presence.
Stacey Pennicott, RACT’s Chief Operations Officer, said the new location represented a step up for members.
“Our new store brings an enhanced experience for members, with significant investment into the location to provide new services, increased digital options and an elevated store fit-out,” she said.
Among the other new tenants is Tasmanian not-for-profit St Lukes, which will open a customer care centre and dental practice at the centre.
Chief Operating Officer Darren Harris said the Kingston dental practice would be open to everyone, not just St Lukes members.
“We believe all Tasmanians have a fundamental right to good oral health,” he said.
The existing St Lukes Customer Care Centre at Channel Court will stay open until the Spring Farm Village location officially opens in June.
