Lighthouse has food emporium on menu

The Meriton group is planning a food emporium as a key ‘ingredient’ of a retail area that will be at the heart of a new town centre earmarked for Dee Why.

The emporium will be part of a 16,000sqm retail and office area at Meriton’s planned Lighthouse development, which is expected to be under way by early 2017.

The $300 million Lighthouse, earmarked for a former shopping centre site, will front Dee Why’s main street and be developed under a council masterplan for central Dee Why.

The award‐winning masterplan, formalised in 2013, is intended to provide Dee Why with the northern beaches’ premier commercial and residential area, one which will include a focus on civic and cultural activities.

Meriton has started a leasing push for its Lighthouse retail space, where the major tenants will be a supermarket and one of Australia’s major banks.

Lighthouse, in which the tallest of four planned buildings will be 20 levels, also will have speciality shops, restaurants and cafes, along with office suites and a 130‐place childcare centre.

Meriton’s Nicholas Ivanov said Meriton was very much on the front foot in seeking to attract a range of tenants that would offer the residents of Dee Why and surrounding areas a one‐stop shopping, dining and relaxation destination.

“We’re seeking expressions of interest from operators interested in helping us deliver a retail area that will be an exciting plus for the residents of Dee Why and surrounding areas.”

Mr Ivanov said Lighthouse would have a large first‐floor area that catered for, among other tenancies, dining outlets overlooking a lively piazza‐style landscaped dining precinct.

“We are living in an era where people are hungry for food adventures so things like a pizza and wine bar and an organic grocery shop have great appeal.

“We feel that if we can create a food emporium, we will add a new dimension to the food offerings in Dee Why and to the experiences available to shoppers.”

Mr Ivanov said shopping had evolved into a social outing for many people and went hand‐in‐hand with entertainment and parks.

“Retail centres, with their landscaped areas and activities for children, are becoming more like town centres than just shopping plazas.”

Meriton, Australia’s largest developer of apartments, expects the Lighthouse retail area to be underpinned by Dee Why and surrounding suburbs providing a potential customer base of more than 100,000 people.

The Dee Why masterplan provides for 550 car spaces servicing the retail and commercial precinct.

Marketing of Meriton’s planned 356 apartments is expected to start next month.

Meriton bought the 1.44ha Lighthouse site for $52 million three years ago from Canada’s Brookfield group.