Forest Hill Chase

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Forest Hill Chase
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Forest Hill Chase
Location Forest Hill, Victoria, Australia
Address270 Canterbury Road
Opening date30 June 1964;61 years ago (1964-06-30)
Demolished1987 (Original centre)
Previous namesForest Hills SC
(1964–70)
Forest Hill SC
(c1970–88)
DeveloperForest Hill Heights
ManagementHaben (since 2022)
Owner Paul Fayman
(c1956–1983)
Walter McLaughlan
(1957–1959)
George Herscu
(1963-1977)
Maurice Alter
(1963–2004)
Novion
(2004–2015)
Blackstone
(2015–2022)
JY Group
(2022–)
Haben
(2022–)
Architect Bill Wheatland
(1957–58)
Leslie M. Perrott Jnr.
(1959–60)
Thord Lorich
(1966–69)
Ernest Fooks
(1973–79)
Buchan Laird Bawden
(1986–92)
Peddle Thorp
(2012)
i2C Architects
(2018)
NH Architects
(2024–25)
Stores and services203
Anchor tenants 7 major
10 minor
Floor area 63,851 m2 (687,290 sq ft)
Floors3
Parking3427
Website www.foresthillchase.com.au

Forest Hill Chase is a major regional shopping centre located in Forest Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It has approximately 200 shops across three levels and parking space for over 3400 cars.

Contents

Known locally as "The Chase", it has three supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi), two discount department stores (Target & Harris Scarfe), a Hoyts cinema complex and some smaller anchor stores. The JY Group and Haben Property Fund have shared joint 50/50 ownership of Forest Hill Chase since 2022.

First proposed in 1957, the centre officially opened on 30 June 1964 with 70 shops in an open-air mall layout, and has since undergone significant redevelopments completed in July 1976 and December 1990. It was originally known as the Forest Hill(s) Shopping Centre, becoming Forest Hill Chase during redevelopment in 1989.

Early development (1956–64)

Background

In 1956, Polish-born property developer Paul Fayman began acquiring large tracts of agricultural land along Canterbury Road in Forest Hill, intending to develop a landmark retail complex. [Note 1] The idea followed the Myer family's 1954 purchase of 86 acres (35 ha) in nearby Burwood for an American-style shopping centre – a concept then new to Victoria. [1]

After a few months of planning, it was formally announced in July 1957 that Fayman's Forest Hill project would cost £5 million and provide about 70 shops, two competing service stations, public open space, an adjoining housing estate, and unmetered parking for 1400 cars – creating an "almost-complete town". [2] [3] The close proximity to Myer's planned Burwood centre prompted Myer to redirect focus to Melbourne's south-east, resulting in the Chadstone Shopping Centre. [Note 2] [4] [5]

Early planning (1956–56)

Envisioned as the largest and most modern development of its kind in Victoria, the Forest Hill centre began as a joint venture between Fayman’s consortium and retailer Walter McLaughlan. Initial blueprints were prepared in April 1957 by a young Bill Wheatland, already noted for his work on Heidelberg’s Bell Street Mall, widely considered Victoria’s first car-oriented shopping centre. [6] [7] Fayman and his consultants made several study trips to the United States during this period, armed with cameras and tasked with surveying the newest generation of American regional shopping centres. [8]

Early plans for the project carried the name Forest Hills Drive-In Shopping Centre, but by 1958 the scheme was being advertised as the "Stonestown Shopping Centre". [9] This name was a deliberate reference to Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco, one of the most influential post-war malls in the United States, whose architectural identity directly informed the design of the original centre. [10] The Stonestown branding was dropped by 1960, and the proposal reverted to its earlier name of Forest Hills. [11]

The centre's approved design featured two open-air strip malls arranged in a rectangular formation known as Canterbury Court, surrounding two landscaped courtyards. These were divided by a sloping row of shops, Centre Court, which linked the front and rear car parks. [12] [9] [13] After about two years of intensive planning and financing efforts, by late 1958, major retailers including Woolworths and Coles had reserved or purchased shop sites at the proposed centre. [6] [14]

Delays (1958–59)

Tenders for construction were called in December 1958, but just as work was set to begin, the partnership collapsed amid financial shortfalls and internal disagreements. [15] Managing agent and project spokesperson Walter McLaughlan quit the project, later taking Fayman & associates to the Supreme Court over a pay dispute. [16]

McLaughlan had previously described the project as a "headache" and felt an apology was "almost due" to residents and businesspeople, explaining to one journalist in 1957 that: "The reason why the project is taking so long to finalise on paper is because a comparatively small change can upset a whole train of planning and there have been so many £400 alterations to the plans alone that it has run into the thousands in money and weeks or months in time." [2]

Development restarts (1959)

By March 1959, Fayman secured new funding through Paynes Properties, part of the Reid-Murray conglomerate, which took a controlling interest under its "Develop Victoria" program and planned to open a Paynes Bon Marché department store on-site. [17] With additional funding secured, leading commercial architects Leslie M. Perrot & Partners were engaged to enhance Wheatland design's 1957 design, retaining the original shop arrangement and road layout. [18] [19]

Over £250,000 was allocated for roads, drainage, and sewerage on the site of 27+12 acres (11.1 ha). A 190-lot housing estate was developed alongside, with contracts for all road-making let to FJ Kerr & Bros – who would build Barter Crescent, Paul Road, and a 1.3km extension of Mahoneys Road connecting Burwood and Canterbury Roads. [20] Residential land first went to auction in December 1959, with many homes being constructed by Paynes Properties and sold as a package. [21]

A press conference to officially launch the development was held on 26 May 1959 at the Hotel Australia. In attendance were journalists from local TV stations, radio, newspapers and the project's developers, architects and investors. [22] [23] Representing Payne's Properties and the Reid-Murray group, Raymond Borg said in his speech to the crowd: "My associates and I feel we shall build more than an ultra-modern drive-in shopping centre, planned by far-sighted people." [24] In announcing his company's participation in the new £6,000,000 Forest Hill project, Norman Rockman of the Rockman's department store chain predicted that "regional drive-in shopping centres will soon play a vital part in the shopping habits of the community". [24] [25]

Second development collapse (1960–61)

Tenders for construction of the centre were called once again, and preliminary site works commenced in November 1959. In preparation for construction of the centre and its adjoining housing estate, an orchard of about 500 trees was bulldozed and gathered up to create a large bonfire for Guy Fawkes Night, 15 acres (6.1 ha) of thickly-timbered remnant bushland was cleared, and two old cottages were burnt down. Contracter McDougall-Ireland built three large anchor stores and a dozen smaller shops. [8]

The developers sought to establish a £100,000 hotel with proposed shopping centre, and Carlton & United Breweries applied for a liquor license. [26] [8] But this move was strongly opposed by local government who stressed road safety issues and the welfare of the students at the adjacent Nunawading High School. [27] The centre's opening was subsequently rescheduled from March 1960 to January 1961, but this was optimistic given the circumstances facing the developers. [28] [29] After 89 ratepayers and local associations sent written objections to Council, it was agreed by a vote of 9 to 1 that Council should intervene and a public hearing was convened at the Licensing Court. [30] In June 1960, amid protracted legal disputes and the establishment of a protest society, the developers announced that they would not proceed with the hotel plans. [31] [32]

Only a handful of shops had been built, but would sit empty as an ongoing financial crisis took place. [33] Weeks turned into months, and the semi-completed centre at Forest Hill would sit deserted for well-over a year. Meanwhile, the rival Chadstone centre opened in October 1960 to much fanfare. In his sole biographical interview, Fayman likened the scenery at Forest Hill to "a ghost town". The abandoned parking surfaces became a place for drifting cars. [34] [35]

During this period, key financier Raymond Borg of Payne's Properties was under investigation for unrelated fraud and later served jail time. [36] [37] This received significant coverage by the press, contributing to Payne's parent company, Reid-Murray Holdings, being placed into a receivership in 1962 amid what journalists described as the single largest and longest bankruptcy in Australian history. [38] It's liquidator, Ernest Niemann, confirmed in February 1964 that receivers still held an interest in the development – which one shareholder described as a "monument to stupidity". [39]

Development restarts again (1964)

In early 1964, Fayman and his associates began seeking additional investors to get the project going again. As Fayman recalled, he was showing shop builders Maurice Alter and George Herscu around the deserted centre when Herscu suddenly blurted out: "Why just buy the shops? I want to buy the whole centre". [40] [41] Alter and Herscu subsequently acquired a joint controlling interest in the development, which had previously been held by Reid-Murray's receivers. [39] Fayman & associates retained about a 25% interest. [42] The Fayman-Alter-Herscu partnership would later consolidate their companies as the Masaga Group, which soon morphed into the prominent Hanover Holdings. One journalist suggested that the success of the centre at Forest Hill laid the foundation of Herscu and Alter's multi-billion dollar fortune. [43]

With the backing of Herscu and Alter, Fayman's team managed to convince supermarket chain owner Bill Pratt and his executives to inspect the unfinished Forest Hill centre. Alter and Fayman greeted them at the site and proposed that the Pratt's Supermarket chain should lease the centre's unfinished 25,000 square-foot department store and convert it into a large supermarket. [44] Recalling the condition of the site, a director stated that there were "derelict buildings with cows grazing" and "lots of mud". [45] Pratt agreed to open a branch of his self-service supermarket chain at Forest Hill, and as part of the deal, arranged for McEwans Hardware to lease a large adjoining store. [46] Shortly after, it was announced that a branch of the popular Moores department store chain was to be the centre's third major anchor tenant. [47] Sole agents Blackburn & Lockwood were instrumental in securing tenants for the centres' smaller stores. [48]

After continuous rumours and years of delays, a press conference to announce the centre's opening was held on 2 March 1964. [49] Here, it was revealed that the centre would officially open in 4 months time – and that existing buildings were to be reconfigured to allow its new tenants. [50] It was announced that local architect T. W. Saward would design a modern £5,000 public toilet block, completed in July/August. [51] [52] Several promotional/charity events were staged at the centre weeks leading up to the official launch, including an archery demonstration, a fundraiser display of models worth £50,000, and a Motorkhana exhibition in the car park. [53] [54] [55]

Official opening (1964)

The centre was officially opened by the Mayor of Nunawading, Owen Goldsborough, at 11am, on Tuesday 30th June 1964. [56] Popular entertainer Graham Kennedy, then at the peak of his fame with In Melbourne Tonight, made an appearance at the opening event. [57] [58] Some 11 thousand keen shoppers from all across Victoria were there. A large bundle of helium balloons were released to mark the occasion. At the preview before the opening, Bill Pratt overheard Sir Edgar Coles say to some of his executives: "I have been sending people overseas to find out what is the latest in retailing, now I can send them out here". The anchor stores along Canterbury Road had carborundum powder in their facades to create a sparkling effect in sunlight. [44]

When shops opened for business at 9:30am, it appeared as though the opening would be a flop as it was relatively quiet. One store manager said there were only about eight people lining up at his store when he opened for business. But by 10am, the crowd had increased to many thousands. Doors were closed in some stores and shoppers were allowed in at 20 a time. Police were kept busy controlling shoppers traffic. [59] Television cameras from were present, but no footage of the event has surfaced. [11]

The first Safeway-branded supermarket occupied 2275 square metres, had 12 checkout points, and a staff of about than 50 assistants, making it the largest all-food supermarket in Australia [60] [61] It also had the largest self-service refrigeration installation in the country, powered by Kelvinator. [62] [63] Safeway reported 11,000 people had passed through its doors on that first day, generating about £15,000 in sales revenue. [64] One executive said that Graham Kennedy, who toured the centre for over an hour, was responsible for bringing a lot of people to the opening event. "Sales staff had to force shoppers back to make a path for him" he said. [59]

Manager of the Moores department store, Graham Pledge, said his store served 8,000 customers that day and had to order additional staff and registers from their city branches to handle the unprecedented demand. [65] The McEwans hardware store, managed by Les Vagg, was stocked with £45,000 worth of hardware and homewares, serving around 5000 customers on the first day. [66] The first stage opening celebrations concluded when actress Evie Hayes toured the new centre and met with customers as part of a promotional event for the Safeway supermarket on July 16. [67]

Coinciding with the opening, the Forest Hill Traders Association was established – which for over 20 years published the Forest Hill "Trader" newspaper. [68]

Second stage (1964-65)

Two weeks after the highly-successful opening event, it was officially announced after much speculation that Coles would build a 930m2 variety store at Forest Hills – anchoring the second stage of the centre's development. [69] [70] This opened in early 1965 and remained a popular store at Forest Hill for many years. [71] In September 1964, a week-long school holiday gala was held at the centre which included guest appearances from children's TV stars including: Zig and Zag (Thursday 3rd), Joff Ellen (Friday 4th), Norman Swain (Monday 7th), Gerry Gee & Ron Blaskett (Tuesday 8th) and Happy Hammond (Wednesday 9th). [72] By late 1964, new shops were opening at Forest Hills weekly. A local periodical reported in September 1964 that "Hundreds of men are busy at work laying thousands of bricks, placing huge steel roof trusses and laying hundreds of miles of wiring and piping in their race to prepare many additional shops which are due to open in late October." [73]

This came with the opening of Lindsays on 29 October 1964, attracting a rush of over 6500 customers. The store manager, Bob Morris, said that by 11:30am the sales had exceeded the opening day figures for the competing Chadstone store. Coinciding was the opening of Hannams, a popular electrical appliance store. Managing director Jack Taylor expressed surprise with the turnout for the opening, and said that "Forest Hills has a golden future". [74] Stores continued to open over the following months, including Simons Shoes (12 November), Toy Emporium (19 November), John Chandler Pharmacy (27 November), Bradmans (4 December), Dobsons (21 December), Norman Oliver Butcher (3 December), the Junior Show (3 December), Palmer & Son (3 December). Other notable tenants were Sussans, Alexanders Clothing, Edments/Hartleys and branches of the State Savings and ANZ banks. [75]

Third stage (1965–70)

In April 1965, a multi-level climbing structure in the shape of a rocket was installed in the centre's eastern garden court. It was extremely popular with several generations of children, remaining there until it was removed to make way for redevelopment of the centre in June 1987. It was subsequently restored by parents of the Syndal South Primary School and erected in the playground of the school where it is still in use today. A plaque commemorating its history has been placed on it. [76] [77] To celebrate three years of the centre's operation, in mid-1967, centre management staged a 2-week-long "shopping gala" with an entertainment program, celebrity guest appearances and expensive prize-winning competitions. [78] By arrangement with the nearby ATV-0 studios, talent show host Gordon Boyd sang at the centre on 27 July 1967 to open the celebrations. Then came Radio 3UZ's Noel Ferrier and Mary Hardy on, who hosted a live radio show in the outdoor courtyards. [79] The main attraction came on 7 July, when ATV-0 star Jimmy Hannan visited the centre to announce the prize winners during a live segment of his daytime show, Take a Letter. [80]

In December 1967, centre management officially announced $4m had been invested into the expansion of Forest Hills. Local architect Thord Lorich was contracted to design a double-storey restaurant, a sports centre with a pool, a radio broadcasting booth, additional shops, and a picture theatre. [81] [82] The expansion program was fast-tracked in response to the announcement that several rival centres were soon to be opened in surrounding suburbs – including the Old Orchard Shopping Centre at Blackburn (2.8kms away), Australia's first Kmart at Burwood (2.4kms away), Myer's Eastland (6.1 kms away). These threatened the integrity of Forest Hill's core catchment size and warranted the centre's swift expansion. [83] In January 1967, former Mayor of Prahran Emlyn Jones secured the lease of a 325 m2 store within the soon-to-be built Forest Hills Theatre, and applied to the Licensing Commission to open a licensed grocer called Forest Hill Cellars. It was to sell an array of Australian and imported wines. Jones eventually obtained a liquor license in mid-1968, and spent the resulting months meticulously fitting out and decorating the space in preparation for its scheduled opening in August. A reporter from the Nunawading Gazette described it as the "biggest, most imaginative, fully equiped cellar in the area". [84] It was later taken over by the Mac's San Remo chain before closing around July 1989. [85] [86]

Corner restaurant (1-3 Mahoneys Road)

A contemporary double-storey restaurant was commissioned at the south-east corner of Canterbury and Mahoneys Roads in December 1967. Situated opposite the shopping centre, it was originally leased by prominent hotelier Frank Dennis, who operated the fully-licensed Crystal Forest restaurant for 13 years. [87] It was among the most popular dining spots in Melbourne's outer-eastern suburbs, with a luxurious interior contained within a extravagant modernist facade designed by Thord Lorich. [88] The ground-floor dining area had a capacity of 100, and a large function space upstairs could hold about 300. [89] In late 1980, it was refurbished and reopened as a Cantonese live seafood restaurant called Dragons Court. and later operated as Phase 2, which served a wider range of asian cuisine. The building was reconfigured to allow two separate tenancies not long after it suffered a fire in 2003. These are currently occupied by KamBo (ground floor) and Kbox (first floor). [90]

Sports centre & office building (79 Mahoneys Road)

In May 1968, the centre's owners formally proposed to build a modern double-storey indoor retail/sporting complex at 79 Mahoneys Road, completing the third and final stage of the centre's approved masterplan. [91] Buildings plans had been finalised months prior by architect Thord Lorich, however, the proposed floor size was doubled last-minute – allowing an additional office floor. [92] Construction began in September 1968, and the complex opened its doors about a year later as one of the tallest commercial buildings in the district. [93] Designed in the post-war International Style, the building retains most of its original features including luxurious terrazzo flooring, brass balustrades, textured ceilings and decorative wall panelling. Up until redevelopment of the adjacent centre in 1989, a portion of the office suites were occupied by centre management. [94] The sports centre occupied multiple levels within the building and had a heated tiled plunge pool and spa, a sauna, creche, coffee lounge and an in-ground trampoline area. [95] The first tenant was the Brendan Edwards fitness chain, which offered a $4-per-week membership and became an instant success amongst locals who praised its modern facilities. [96]

Local sportsman John Driver took over the lease in late 1977 and it became the John Driver Sports & Fitness Centre. Despite having around 4000 members, this closed about ten years later in August 1987. The site sat empty for a few years until 1992, when the Lifestyle Fitness chain moved in and renovated. [97] [98] [99] An independent company called Metro Health & Fitness began leasing the site in 2001 and ran the Forest Hill Swim School. This went bankrupt in 2005, and much of the original tenancy remains unoccupied. [100] In 2011, the top level of the old gymnasium, which had originally served as a creche, was cut off from the rest of the building and fitted out to accommodate the Whitehorse Community Resource Centre. [101] The original ground floor tenancies have since been combined and are currently occupied by Fresenius Medical Care, a healthcare company which provides kidney dialysis services. [102]

Forest Hill Theatre/Cinema (67 Mahoneys Road)

In 1967, it was announced that an auditorium designed to TV studio specifications would be constructed on Mahoneys Road, and would run daily matinees for shoppers, special audiences and schools. It became the first purpose-built picture theatre in Nunawading, boasting over 360 seats, a snack bar, coffee lounge and two adjoining shops. [103] Designed by local architect Thord Lorich with assistance from engineers at the nearby ATV-0 studios, the tall utilitarian building is clad with a midcentury cream brick veneer – decorated with occasional terrazzo, ceramic and granolithic finishes. Custom roller doors were incorporated into the second storey facade to allow for the camera/equipment installation directly into the mezzanine, which contained the projection area, an ovoid-shaped orchestra balcony and dressing rooms. The projection cabin, which initially housed twin colour film projectors and a slide projector, was situated behind a gallery overlooking the auditorium. [104]

The opening night took place on 31 May 1968, with an entertainment programme including dancers and a screening of Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown with music by local musician Vic Conner at the Hammond organ. [105] ATV-0 beamed a test colour television transmission from their nearby studios at Hawthorn Road to the cinema in March 1970, five years before colour broadcasts were formally introduced to Australia. [106] In December 1971, the stage was turned into a makeshift ice skating rink for use in a series specially-produced revues/pantomines starring John McKilligan, Suzanne Hill, and Marilyn Wright. [107] Another notable event was the premier of Giorgio Mangiamele's locally-produced film Beyond Reason in May 1970. [108]

The theatre's original operators, an independent company called Sherwood Productions, experienced financial and legal troubles leading to an early lease termination. The cinema re-opened by January 1970 with Dendy as the operator, who made minor alterations including a reduction of seating from 362 to 337 and some equipment upgrades. Village took over in 1978 followed by Palace in 1980. [104] [109] The building ceased screening movies after its closure in September 1989, shortly before Hoyts opened across the road in the new Forest Hill Chase redevelopment. It had its last full house as a cinema on 20 May 1988 when it screened Crocodile Dundee II – which sold so many tickets that patrons were overflowing into the projection booth. [110]

In 1990, steak and seafood chain The Keg used the building as a temporary recruitment office. [111] By 1992, the building had been converted into a night club venue called "The Bunker" – its name being a nod to the building's unique proportions and bunker-like appearance. The venue quickly became one of the most popular clubbing venues in Melbourne's middle/outer east, but would soon close due an uprise in antisocial behaviour. [112] [113] By popular demand, centre management worked with council officers and local police to re-open it as "Club 3131", a community-based blue light disco. This closed in the early 2000s, and the building sat vacant for a number of years before it was eventually converted into a ballet studio and later a community theatre. These have since closed, and refurbishment works are underway as of 2025. [114]

Fourth stage (1973–76)

In April 1974, the centre's owners officially revealed plans to extend the Forest Hill Centre by 24,0000m2. [115] A finalised redevelopment scheme was released in June 1975, which was to cost $10m (roughly equivalent to $115m in 2025). A free-standing, split-level indoor shopping centre was to be built on the original rear car park and would have air conditioning, escalators, additional shops, a fresh food market and community spaces. The project was advertised as the "largest shopping/market complex in the Eastern suburbs", serving a catchment area of around 370,000 customers. [116] The redevelopment was designed by Ernest Fooks, officially opening on 20 July 1976. [117] Safeway moved from their tenancy at Canterbury Road to a newer, larger store in the lower level of the redevelopment opposite the food market stalls. A Woolworths supermarket and the largest McEwans hardware store outside of the city occupied the upper level. [118] The first part of the scheme was completed in 1975, when the original open-air parking lot at Canterbury Road was replaced by a multi-deck car park, increasing the centre's parking capacity to 2,000. [119]

Fifth stage of development (1976–79)

Forest Hill Chase redevelopment (1981–90)

In 1981, centre management engaged Meldrum Burrows & Partners to conduct a feasibility study concerning a proposed remodelling and expansion of Forest Hill. Their study highlighted that Forest Hill was primarily populated by small convenience stores and lower-order comparison goods retailers, lacking both a department store and a large discount store capable of offering a diverse range of merchandise. This absence of variety put Forest Hill at a competitive disadvantage against rival shopping centres, which were evolving to meet consumer demands for one-stop shopping experiences. [120]

Furthermore, the outdoor centre's facilities were found lacking in several key areas. It provided insufficient amenities for shoppers, including inadequate weather protection in numerous locations, a lack of air conditioning in various shops and common areas, and limited space for display and promotional activities. [120] [121] A proposed $100 million redevelopment would see replacement of the original outdoor centre with a multi-level, indoor mall with 210 tenancies, a 450-seat gourmet food court with an indoor charity fountain and glass elevator, a fresh food market, and parking for about 3000 cars. [122] Architects Buchan, Laird and Bawden, who were chosen to design the redevelopment, took inspiration from the St. Louis Galleria in Missouri. [123]

The two atriums feature large skylights, constructed with polycarbonate and reticulated steel, with a barrel vault shape. The food court originally had a late-19th century French spelter statue of a winged figure holding a clock that stood 2.4 metres high. [124] The City Of Nunawading approved the project in July 1986 and works commenced in August with the demolition of six houses on Flora Grove to free up space for a reconstruction of the car park and roadworks to develop Pacific Way; an access and bypass route to service the redevelopment. [125]

The old, outdoor shops were demolished in August 1987 except for a row of three stores next to the Mahoneys Road pedestrian entrance, which remain there today. The split-level indoor "Marketplace" addition, completed in 1976, was also retained but majorly reconfigured to accommodate new tenancies including a multi-level Harris Scarfe store. [126] The first stage of the expanded centre opened on 12 September 1989, and 113 shops were operating by July 1990. [127] The second stage of the redevelopment was officially completed by December 1990. [117] Fifty-nine shops from the old section were relocated to the new centre. The Hoyts 10 cinema complex opened on the third level on 26 December 1989 with 10 screens and 2,500 seats. [128] [129]

Alterations and additions (1993-2025)

The Nunawading Council Community Resource Centre opened on Level 3 around 1993. It came after several years of debate between the local Council and Pacific Shopping Centres about where the council's community space allocation should be placed. [99] It housed community groups such as the Maternal and Child Health Services, Adult Day Activity and Support Service, Lao Women's Association of Victoria, Nunawading Community Chest, Nunawading Older Persons' Action Group, The Communities Council On Ethnic Issues, U3A Nunawading, Youth Adult Bureau, the Iranian Society of Victoria, and the Lions Club of Victoria. [130] A council information centre was also established and offered a "non-threatening" environment where citizens could pick up council brochures and printed information on a range of council and community services or can have their questions answered. [131] [132]

In November 1993, Australia's first dedicated, public virtual reality centre opened at Shop 263 (next to present-day TK Maxx tenancy) on the centre's second level. Operated by the Cyberspace corporation, it debuted with Exorex, a robot seek and destroy experience. [133] Forest Hill Chase and Hoyts were among the many objectors to a highly publicised 1995 proposal by Reading Cinemas to establish a $25 million 25-screen complex in the nearby suburb of Burwood, which ultimately failed to materialise. [134] [135] A bar lounge and tavern with 90 gaming machines (later reduced to 50) called Vegas at The Chase opened on the centre's third level in early March 1995. [136] [137]

The opening was delayed due to several legal disputes and trouble obtaining a liquor license. [138] The space had been reserved since the redevelopment opened. [139] Around 1997, Harris Scarfe was downsized from its two level form to occupying only Level 1, to allow a new Big W store to open in the now vacant space on Level 2. [140] An AMF (now Zone) bowling alley with 28 lanes and children's play centre Run Riot opened on Level 3 around the year 2000. [141] In the biggest redevelopment of the centre since 1989/1990, levels one and two were completely refurbished in 2007. Kmart Tyre & Auto Service was relocated to a new free standing site in Pacific Way, which was completed in March 2007. The interior malls on level one and two were refurbished with new floor tiling laid, removal of the traditional gold and marble balustrades with modern steel balustrades installed, and the removal of the stairwells at the south of the centre near Big W. The level two toilets were fully refurbished, completed in June 2007.

The Mahoneys Road entrance was upgraded, with the existing glass canopy replaced and upgraded with a terrace installed on Level 3 for use by the Chase Hotel, which was completed by June 2007. The Alliance for Gambling Reform later made calls for the hotel to close down its pokies after it was revealed that almost $16 million was gambled in a year. [142] The centre's Kmart permanently closed on 31 January 2007 and was subsequently converted to Target, which opened in September 2007. The food court was also refurbished and extended around this time. A dance studio began operating out of the former Forest Hill Cinema building on Mahoneys Road in 2012 but would soon close. [143]

The centre's third level was expanded and refurbished during the second half of 2010, complementing the earlier refurbishment of the other levels of the centre and introducing a number of new tenants. Around this time, Pancake Parlour was closed and replaced by TGI Fridays. The refurbishment of Level 3, including mall reconfiguration, expansion and renovation, new escalators between levels two and three, and a new centre entry to a new car park, was completed in December 2010.[ citation needed ] The construction of an additional deck of car parking located west of Hoyts above the existing Target/Coles multi-deck car park, including 317 spaces, opened on 15 December 2010. An updated 'Entertainment and Dining' precinct with a refurbished Hoyts cinema, three new restaurants as well as new minor anchor retailers JB Hi-Fi, Rebel and gymnasium Fit n Fast was established. The Hoyts Multiplex was closed in July 2010 for a much needed refurbishment. Four of the cinemas were handed back to the centre and converted into retail space as part of the upgrade and redevelopment of Level 3. [144] The current seating capacities are 161 in cinemas 1, 2, 5 and 6 and 173 in cinemas 3 and 4. [145]

In 2012, Harris Scarfe returned to the centre and spent more than $2 million redeveloping the store in the area previously occupied by Myer. The centre also expanded its fresh food market on level one, which included a new Aldi supermarket on top of the Canterbury Road multi deck car park, which caused a small increase in undercover parking. A new refurbished bus zone was also built as a result. (A temporary bus zone was constructed adjacent to Kmart Tyre & Auto during construction). In 2013, the glass lift in the food court, which travels from the basement car park through to level 3 was replaced, as the existing lift was too small, causing heavy congestion as it became the only fully accessible way to move between levels 2 and 3 after a past level 3 redevelopment. The expanded lift is now operating and carries up to 26 people. New facade and centre entrance treatments were also installed along the Canterbury Road car park frontage and around the Level 2 Best & Less centre entry. [146]

Recent upgrades (2017–2025)

In late 2017, works began to revamp the third floor and partially renovate the second floor. The east wing of the Level 2 mall, which formerly housed Dimmeys and a few other retailers, was closed down for several months and completely renovated and re-configured. Dimmeys moved to a smaller location near the Level 1 food court (which later closed down permanently) with JB Hi-Fi and Rebel moving from their former Level 3 tenancies. The escalators linking Level 2 and Level 3 were also removed to allow for more retail space.[ citation needed ] In 2018, Big W closed down, with a new TK Maxx store occupying part of the available space, with its entrance opposite the newly re-located JB Hi-Fi and Rebel stores. A new Medical Centre and Child Care Centre will occupy the remainder of the space of the former Big W. In 2019, Level 3 was renovated, with the space left behind by JB Hi-Fi and Rebel being converted into more dining retailers, with the whole level getting a refurbishment and being branded as "The Loft". Zone Bowling (formerly AMF) and Timezone were also renovated to combine the two tenancies together with a new look. A new glass lift was also installed near the escalator located outside Woolworths with access to all levels.[ citation needed ]

Incidents

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Notes

  1. Poultry farmer Fredrick Arthur Loomes was paid £59,800 for his share of site. Nearby Loomes Street is named after him.
  2. Another proposed shopping centre for the area, the failed 50-shop White's Meadows Drive-In at Bulleen, was cancelled in September 1958, following the announcement that plans were going forward at Forest Hill. Source: "Supermarket permit cancelled - plans for Bulleen fall through". The Age. 19 September 1958. p. 3

References

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  6. 1 2 [Cartographical material] Forest Hill Shopping Centre. P&W Planners and Engineers. 30 April 1957 via State Library Victoria.
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