Construction begins on $29m Woolworths complex on former Bunnings site

Construction has officially begun on a new neighbourhood shopping centre in Lake Macquarie.

The new Woolworths store is being built at 393 Pacific Highway, in Belmont North, on the site of the former Bunnings warehouse.

The centre is set to open in mid-2027 with the project expected to generate about 600 jobs across its life, including more than 250 ongoing roles once trading and 350 jobs during the construction phase.

Rather than demolishing the old warehouse, the development will repurpose the existing structure and its concrete slab.

Woolworths says that approach has already saved 400 tonnes of steel and 1600 cubic metres of concrete, enough to fill 32 backyard swimming pools, by avoiding a full rebuild.

Woolworths director of property development, Andrew Loveday, marked the start of works at the site.

Mr Loveday said the development was about more than convenient grocery access.

"These investments create vibrant community hubs offering new food and business opportunities along with vital everyday services, reflecting our long-term commitment to serving and growing alongside local families," he said.

He said the Pacific Highway site had a varied history, from its days as a hardware store to its role as a mass COVID-19 vaccination hub during the pandemic.

"We're proud to write its next chapter as a vibrant, sustainable community space," he said.

Once complete, the centre will be anchored by a full-line Woolworths supermarket, along with a mix of specialty retailers, cafes, boutique services and a dining precinct.

Woolworths lodged a development application with Lake Macquarie council for the $29 million project in September 2024, after buying the disused Bunnings site through its property arm, Fabcot, for $20.5 million.

That DA outlined a full-line supermarket, specialty shops and a bottle shop, with 330 car spaces, and forecast the store would create 345 jobs and generate more than $60 million in annual sales once fully trading.

Bunnings vacated the Belmont North warehouse for a new store at Bennetts Green, and German supermarket chain Kaufland eyed the location in 2019, before pulling out of the Australian market altogether.

During the pandemic, the building was a mass vaccination hub, employing more than 300 staff and delivering about 244,000 jabs to adults and almost 30,000 to children. It closed in 2022.

The Belmont North centre is one of several Woolworths-anchored developments under way or in the pipeline in the Hunter.

At Fullerton Cove, a $37.5 million shopping centre featuring a Woolworths, specialty stores and a medical centre, began construction earlier this year after Port Stephens Council approved the project in January 2025. The growing North Stockton, Fern Bay and Seaside Estate communities have lobbied for years for a supermarket.

Further west, the $180 million Chisholm Plaza is on track to open between Newcastle and Maitland by the end of 2026, serving one of the fastest-growing pockets of the Maitland local government area.

Closer to Newcastle, Woolworths has also lodged a $32 million development application with the City of Newcastle to redevelop the long-running Elermore Vale Shopping Centre on Croudace Road, which houses a Ritchies Supa IGA.