Eddy Haddad, of Level 33 Property Developer Group,  has confirmed their plans for the Akuna St landholding includes not one but two supermarkets.

“We are still in the early design stages and anticipate lodging our DA within a couple of months,” he told The Bugle.

“But I can say there will be two supermarkets, specialty stores and cafes/restaurants in the development, along with luxury apartments.

“I am very excited as this is going to be an iconic site. 

“There is no room for error. It is all about bringing the right retail tenants to this development to come and occupy the spaces. 

“It is going to be a development that will attract outsiders to Kiama just to visit these stores.”

Some have already lodged their design briefs for the space to help the design process, and a selective expression of interest campaign for the retail speciality stores will be conducted. 

In addition to an inhouse design team, they are working with PBD Architects on the project. 

Mr Haddad says at this stage he expects there to be less than 100 apartments, with the focus on high end living.

He also says the design will include a cobblestone laneway through the old Mitre 10/Collective building from Terralong St.

“There will be retail below, and commercial space and apartments above the activated thoroughfare,” he says.

And as for parking, Mr Haddad says, “We will be taking parking off the street, with a couple of hundred car parks for the shopping component, as well resident parking.”

Level 33 is in close discussions with Council about the design, and once the DA is approved he expects construction will take 24 months to deliver their own project. The DA will be guided by a site specific chapter of the Kiama Town Centre DCP.

“We are a development and construction company, so we aren’t at the mercy of a third party builder,” says Mr Haddad.