The long-awaited Dickson Coles will open this week, nearly a decade after plans were first announced.
A team of 120 staff members are gearing up to open the doors on Wednesday, September 20.
Leading the new store will be manager Kathy Topic, who has been with the company for 30 years.
Alongside her is a team that includes 30 local school students, many who would be entering the workforce for the first time.
Among them was 15-year-old Chloe Fothergill who was excited to start her new job.
"What makes it even more special is that my dad also worked for Coles when he was younger and participated in the store opening at Coles Woden," she said in a statement.
"It's nice to be following in his footsteps."
The store is part of the new Dickson Village precinct, developed by TP Dynamics.
The seven-storey complex will also include small retail shops, basement parking for about 450 cars and build-to-rent apartments on the upper levels.
The developer reached a significant milestone in March when construction "topped out", signalling the completion of structural works.
Shoppers will be enticed to the new store with free underground parking when they spend more than $20 at Coles.
The store will include an open-front bakery, a large deli and a frozen dessert section, features that had proven popular in other states.
Opening follows years of delays
It was a long wait to get to the opening date; the development was plagued with delays for several years.
Coles' development arm initially submitted plans for the site in 2014, which proposed two supermarkets, 155 dwellings and offices.
At the time, the centre was a joint venture between Coles Group Property Developments and Doma Group.
An Aldi store was originally planned as well, but the supermarket withdrew from the development some years later.
A five-year battle to get the project off the ground ensued before planning minister Mick Gentleman used special call-in powers to approve the amended development plans in 2019.
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