Willows Shoppingtown regional shopping centre, is located in Kirwan, a Former suburb of Thuringowa in the CBD. The centre was purchased by DB RREEF in 2006 for approximately $100 mil. The centre is expecting a commercial building application from the owners of the center valued at some $50 mil. The development plans for the centre were claimed to have been lodged in August of 2006, but did not proceed at the decision of the developer. In a change of direction, the owners of the centre put the expansion plans to public comment in November 2007. According to the owners, the center would be expanded along it's northern axis, rather than the western axis as first proposed. While the size of the centre's expansion would remain the same, the change in location would mean the proposed discount department store would be some 8,500 m² (91,493 sq ft) and not 5,500 m² (59,202 sq ft) as previous proposed. Big W is confirmed and will occupy the proposed discount department store site.
Construction on the expansion commenced in late 2008, with works taking 18 months to complete. Included within the original expansion area of 12,500 m² (134,549 sq ft) were an an additional 35 specality outlets and 240 parking bays. However this has been revised to 50 additional specality outlets and 600 car bays, make the Willows shopping centre the Largest in the former Thuringowa area as well as Townsville.
The centre is serviced by public transportation run by Sunbus Townsville.
Major retailers within the centre include:
Woolworths Supermarkets
Target
Coles Supermarkets
Major food retailers within the centre include:
Gloria Jeans Coffee
Red Rooster
McDonald's
Other shopping centres in Thuringowa are
Parkside Plaza
Mount View Plaza
Centro Deeragun
Sunland Plaza
Canon Park City Centre
Upper Ross Shopping centre