A SYDNEY-based developer hopes to give the Summer Centre the “tender, loving care” it needs to serve Orange’s food and retail scene.
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Paul Saunders, of Saunders Global, and Oscars Hotels founder Bill Gravanis bought the 2.1-hectare property for more than $22 million in February and hope to submit a development application to Orange City Council within the next three months.
Mr Saunders had been looking into regional retail and missed a site in Tamworth before he discovered Orange.
“The Summer Centre came up and it’s a great development opportunity, there’s lots of land with it,” he said.
“It wasn’t well-leased – the best way to lease is to have a vision about what products you want, but because the previous developer went into receivership, it wasn’t done with any tender loving care, it was very haphazard.”
With Orange contemplating an upgrade of the CBD, Mr Saunders said the centre would also undergo refurbishment.
“We want to make it more of a town centre than a shopping centre by opening up the outside with al fresco dining,” he said.
“It will be much better when we connect it back into the town.”
Council approval for serviced apartments on the 2500-square metre vacant lot has lapsed.
Mr Saunders said plans would not necessarily follow the concept from CBRE Investments, which marketed the site, saying Sale Street was the main frontage and he wanted to see it opened up.
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