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H & M Tipped to Close Multiple Australian Stores, Including Chermside

Fashion retailer H & M is closing down multiple stores in Australia, including Chermside, due to the economic impact of the pandemic and the massive shift of people’s shopping habits to online platforms.

H & M has already quietly shut down its outlet in Chatswood, NSW in January and industry insiders said that four more NSW stores are due to fold. In Queensland, at least three stores have been identified as underperforming and could close their doors as well: Chermside, Townsville and Rockhampton.

H & M outlets lease over 2,000 square metre spaces at various shopping centres and its closure will also impact the landlords who will need to find new tenants or come up with an alternative usage for the empty space.

In Chermside, the store is at Westfield Chermside on Gympie Road, owned by the Scentre Group.

According to reports, H & M’s sales fell by 18 percent in 2020, prompting its operations to consider closing 250 stores around the world. In October 2020, the retailer debuted its online store in Australia and said that it will pour more investments into its digital properties.

H & M has not released a statement regarding the closures. The company first opened its Australian store in Melbourne in 2014 and soon expanded to 49 outlets across the country.

Queensland Welcomes 776 New Junior Doctors at Prince Charles Hospital, 44 Other Sites

Queensland Health welcomed 776 new junior doctors in a special meeting with Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and other local officials at the Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside.

Of these new doctors, 163 medical interns will be taking up residence in Brisbane northside facilities, including Prince Charles Hospital. The rest will be assigned to 44 public hospitals for a full year.

“Best of luck to all of Queensland’s new medical graduates as they embark on this next stage in their medical career!” Member for Aspley Bart Mellish posted on Facebook.

“It’s great to see these new recruits at Prince Charles Hospital out there on the frontline, delivering the services northside residents need,” Mr Mellish said in a separate statement. “I’m proud to be a member of a government that’s investing in a record $21.8 billion health budget that’s delivering exceptional services for Queenslanders.”

These new interns will be joining training programs covering various clinical procedures and practices. The doctors will be under three rotations between Emergency Medicine, General Medicine and General Survey, as well as two elective specialised areas to safely and effectively transition into their chosen path.

“These medical interns and graduate nurses have worked extremely hard to get to this stage of their career and I congratulate them on their achievement,” Ms D’Ath said.

“I’m especially grateful they are joining Queensland’s health system during a global pandemic, where they will no doubt face extra challenges they may not have anticipated when they commenced their study.

“Queensland’s doctors and nurses have kept us safe during COVID and these new health workers will help that work continue.”

It comes as the State Government aims to have 9,475 medical and health practitioners providing services in Queensland in the next four years.

Chermside West Tipped for Property Growth in 2021

For the last five years, Chermside has achieved more than 30 percent growth in Brisbane’s property market. This has apparently created a ripple effect on its neighbouring suburb, Chermside West, which has been projected to grow in 2021.

According to AusProperty Professionals Director and Founder Lloyd Edge, Chermside West is one of 10 suburbs with a huge potential for growth this year following “a high level of gentrification” in recent years.

Mr Edge said that Chermside West, located 12 kilometres off the CBD, has been building up and is now at its prime as the “markets really heat up” in Brisbane, despite the economic impact of COVID-19.

Apart from its proximity to Chermside, the suburb has two hospitals providing employment for the locals and has the popular Craigslea State School. The improvements in Westfield has provided accessibility and convenience without the busyness of a city hub.

The top 10 Brisbane suburbs with a huge potential for market growth in 2021 are:

1 Mansfield
2 Indooroopilly
3 Moorooka
4 Logan Central
5 Mt Gravatt
6 Chermside West
7 Stafford and Everton Park
8 Wishart
9 Woolloongabba
10 Hemmant

A profile of Chermside West showed that property investments for this suburb have had a capital gain of 2.71 percent for the period ending 2020 October. The median price of a Chermside West house is $625,000 with a gross rental yield of 3.91 percent.

Post-COVID, homebuyers have been looking into suburbs in Brisbane for affordability, education and migration. Brisbane has heaps of the most sought-after catchment area, with surging demand from the Asian community.

Boutique Hotel Near Prince Charles Hospital Proposed in Chermside

A new short-term boutique hotel with 148 rooms could soon rise in Chermside if Council approves the plan to build an eight-storey facility that could service visitors of the Prince Charles Hospital or nearby retirement villages.

Aside from the hotel, included in the proposal (DA A005563593) are a cafe, gym and pool, function and recreational spaces that will be useful to the community.

The actual site is on 523 Hamilton Road and 3-5 Zenith Avenue and will knock down three houses to make way for the hotel suites.

In behalf of Kedron Barr Pty Ltd, Mewing Planning Consultants said that this is a much-needed development.

“There are very few short-term accommodation options within Brisbane outside of the inner city area and airport and therefore this development presents the opportunity to broaden the short-term offering in a well-located position in proximity of the Chermside Principal Centre (employment/retail hub), the Prince Charles Hospital/St Vincent’s Private Hospital and other services that may benefit from access to short-term accommodation (i.e. the nearby Wheller Gardens Retirement Village and schools). There is a need for the development, at the yield proposed,” the planning consultants stated.

The application was lodged in October 2020 and Council has sought additional informational requests and updates to the plans, which downscaled the proposed 173 rooms to 148 and 69 car spaces to 62. The project has enlisted the Cottee Parker to design the building.

A Council decision on the boutique hotel could be made early this year.

Chermside Woman Gets $1 Instant Scratch-Its for Christmas, Wins $10,000

The odds of winning a major prize at a lottery might be one in a million but a Chermside woman recently had a “lotto holiday cheer” after getting a $1 Instant Scratch-Its ticket as a Christmas gift. Her unbelievable luck made her $10,000 richer!

Still unsure of her win, the unnamed woman received the official notice from The Lott a few days later. She then headed to the NewsExtra Chermside at Westfield Chermside to validate the good news.

“This win really is a great boost for me. It means a lot! It will help me a great deal and make a world of difference to me,” the woman said. “It certainly made for a wonderful Christmas and has got me looking forward to 2021.”

NewsExtra Chermside senior supervisor Mynetta Cash believes that they are quite a lucky outlet.

“Our last major win was actually in September,” Ms Cash said. We’ve had quite a few big wins. Hopefully we have even more major wins next year.”

At least 151 Instant Scratch-Its tickets have won the top prize in the last year, amounting to $11.8 million in total wins.

Meanwhile, the Chermside winner said she’s planning on splurging her prize money on something she has been putting off — a new toilet! She also plans on setting aside the rest of the money for a trip.

Upgrades to Rode Road Shopping Centre in Stafford Heights Near Completion

Enhancements and upgrades done to the Rode Road Shopping Centre are nearing completion following months of refurbishment work, promising a better dining destination and retail hub for residents of Stafford Heights, McDowall and Chermside West.

Peter Kneipp, Site8 Director and Property Manager of the Rode Road Shopping Centre, said that the revamped site’s completed new look will be unveiled in a matter of weeks.

Three new eateries will join Dum n Rum, Lanna House and Sushi Jun once the expanded venue opens. Among the operators that have expressed interest to open at the refurbished centre include an American ribs house, an Italian restaurant, a burger joint, an Asian dumpling eatery and a poke restaurant.

Salty’s Grill and Kova Coffee, on the other hand, retain their location at the original building across the new dining precinct.

Mr Kneipp said that a growing number of people living near the dining hub have been looking for variety and nighttime dining options, including evening food deliveries.

Some of these operators also have licence to serve wine and craft beer for customers looking for a nightcap. Part of the design improvements of the Rode Road Shopping Centre includes alfresco dining, which more customers have craved for in this new normal.

Meanwhile, the main building’s scale and structure have not been changed as the refurbishments have been mostly cosmetic. The general floor area of the centre, however, has increased with the extensions.

Short-Term Hotel on Hamilton Road, Chermside Proposed

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council //pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

A development application for a short-term hotel on Hamilton Road, Chermside has been lodged.

To be situated at 3-5 Zenith Avenue and 523 Hamilton Road, Chermside, the proposed development will provide short-term hotel accommodation to tourists, travellers, or persons associated with adjacent Prince Charles Hospital and St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

Designed by Cottee Parker, the development comprises 173 rooms over eight (8) storeys and will provide suites, rather than self-contained units — a first in Chermside. The developers said that there are very few short-term accommodation options within Brisbane outside of the inner city area and Airport.

“The proposed development will directly advance the outcomes of both the zone and the neighbourhood plan. The intent of the development is to provide short term accommodation for medical professionals / workers, visitors and out patients (who may have ongoing appointments) associated with the adjacent Prince Charles Hospital / St Vincent’s Private Hospital,” the planners at Mewing Planning Consultants said.

Hamilton Road view – Photo credit: Brisbane City Council //pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

The building’s design includes a sun shading, window box outcome across the façade, as well as finer grain vertical fins, a vertical green wall within the Zenith Avenue façade, vertical recessed elements and an open framed building cap.

Zenith Avenue view Photo credit: Brisbane City Council //pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

The 8-storey hotel will also provide ancillary and exclusive guest and administration facilities at the ground level and on the hotel’s rooftop. Facilities will include manager’s office, cafe, function space, pool, gym, and a rooftop seating and breakout spaces.

There will also be provisions for landscaping, deep planting and open space. Within the front setback and along its side boundaries, deep planting covering a total of 406 sqm will be accommodated.

A total of 75 car spaces located within two (2) basement levels, including three (3) car share spaces, six (6) tandem spaces and two (2) PWD spaces will be provided.

The Prince Charles Hospital Emergency Services Expansion Fast-Tracked

The Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside will get an additional $3 million from the state government to fast track the expansion of its emergency services department.

Deputy Premier and Minister Health Steven Miles confirmed in a press briefing that the northside hospital will soon have additional beds, treatment spaces and better capacity for treating outpatient services.

Mr Miles said that this expansion will “future proof” The Prince Charles Hospital as demand in the region grows. The population serviced by the hospital is expected to increase in the next few years, especially among the over 70 years old.

“These projects will ensure the hospital continues to meet the current and future health needs of the Brisbane northside’s growing population. The ED expansion project will address the projected increase in ED presentations with more adult and paediatric treatment spaces, including resuscitation,” Mr Miles said.

The expansion will bring in additional jobs as well, boosting the region’s recovery plan following the pandemic.

Currently, The Prince Charles Hospital has 630-bed capacity and locals affirmed that it’s always full.

There is no projected start date of the expansion’s construction but Member for Aspley Bart Mellish said this needs to happen “as quickly as possible so we can meet rapidly growing healthcare needs here on Northside.”

Chermside Man Wins $1 Million After Playing Same Gold Lotto Numbers for 20 Years

A fortunate Chermside resident bought a Gold Lotto ticket at NewsExtra Chermside and woke up an instant millionaire following the draw on Monday, 14 Sept 2020.

The man said that he’s still recovering from a sleepless night because he could not believe his luck, he told The Lott.

“My wife and I saw we had won at about nine o’clock last night and we didn’t get much sleep after that,” the winner said.

The Chermside local is the lone winner from Brisbane of the $1 million prize money of Monday & Wednesday Gold Lotto draw. He said he’s been playing the same numbers for the last 20 years so this win has been unexpected.

His winning numbers were 31, 16, 23, 43, 1 and 24, with 18 and 36 as supplementary numbers.

“I can’t believe they’ve finally come up,” the man said. “It’s incredible. Honestly, I never thought this would happen, you hope, and you pray, but you never think you will actually win the lottery!”

The lucky Brisbane player will use his million-dollar prize for a trip to Easter Island if travel restrictions are eased off.

NewsExtra Chermside’s Shannon Hickey congratulated the winner, who becomes the 86th millionaire of the Monday & Wednesday Gold Lotto across Australia.

“We have sold plenty of division one prizes across our stores, and it’s always so exciting,” the store manager said.

Chermside Castle Sold for $880,000 to be Demolished for New Houses

Developers have snapped up an iconic Chermside castle for $880,000 at a recent auction and now they plan to bulldoze the Portuguese country villa-inspired home to make way for new houses.

Known as “The Castle” to locals, the house on 14 Ashley Rd, Chermside West, was designed by a Brisbane artist in the 1970s.

In 2013, Marcel Lelievre bought the property for $650,000 and has now sold it to father and son developers, Kevin and Mohammad Tabrizi.

Photo Credit: Dwight Colbert Ray White/Facebook

About 120 people came to see the house during its listing in June. The castle has 471 square metres floor area and stands at 1,012 square metres of land.

It has five bedrooms and three baths, as well as a spacious courtyard at the centre. Lelievre said that the courtyard was his favourite spot in the house because it’s serene and peaceful.

But the Tabrizi father and son plan to split the site into two blocks for new developments, after winning the auction, which took place at the courtyard.

Despite the Chermside castle’s charm and unique architecture, the Tabrizis specifically picked the property for its view of Moreton Bay from the top-level balcony.

“Vacant lots around Chermside West are hard to come by,” Kevin said. “It’s quite a unique position and we think there’s good underlying demand.”