Stockland will spend nearly $400 million expanding its Green Hills shopping centre in Maitland, in a renovation that will double the size of the centre and bring David Jones to the Lower Hunter Valley.
The property development company said today it is hoping to complete the $377m expansion by mid-2018, which will add 141 extra specialty stores to the shopping centre and include a single level David Jones and a large Dan Murphy's liquor store.
The build will generate 1,350 direct jobs during construction and more than 2,150 indirect jobs, Stockland said. Upon completion, the centre will support 1,250 full time retail jobs and 1,200 jobs for regional suppliers and service providers.
Stockland chief executive Mark Steinert said the Green Hills development was a "highly accretive" opportunity.
"It’s already one of the most productive centres in Australia and this expansion will enable us to capture a portion of the estimated $867 million of escape expenditure that leaves the primary trade area every year," Mr Steinert said.