Introduction
The Glen Shopping centre is a central part of the community at Glen Waverley, with it's rich history, well located geography and overall 'timeless style', it serves as the heart of the community in Glen Waverley.
The Glen Shopping Centre was first opened in 1967 with over 30 specialty shops and 600 parking spaces.
In 1991, the center expanded to 120 stores and 2,000 car parking spaces. In addition, a food court and multiple levels of undercover car parking and travelators were added. At this point, Centro Properties took over the management of the center. In February 1994, Centro acquired a 50% interest in the center at a cost of $37 million, with the two superannuation funds retaining 25% each; the Woolworths was redeveloped at this time.
A major expansion in 1996 costing A$8 million saw the number of retailers expand to 170, including the opening of the first suburban David Jones store in Melbourne, with an official launch on 22 May 1996. In August 1999, a new consortium, Glen Property Trust in which Centro had a 50% interest, bought out the superannuation funds' stake in the center at a price of A$81.5 million, taking Centro's stake in the center to 75%. In June 2000, Centro acquired the final 25% share.
The Glen Shopping Centre, taken 2023
"This district of former orchards and market gardens is centred along Springvale Road and extends on High Street Road to Dandenong Creek. It was known as Black Flat until 1905. A church, school, post office from 1885, stores, smithy, public reserve and Mechanics Institute hall (1909) clustered around the Waverley Road intersection, servicing farming families who settled when Crown blocks were sold from 1854. The permanent brick school (1880), now a funeral parlour, has local heritage status. The railway terminus (1930) a kilometre northwards became the focus at an accelerating pace after 1955. Resiting the station 250 metres to the west in 1964 allowed a central parking square for shoppers. To its north is The Glen shopping center, originally a 1967 Hooker Project, expanded in 1991, 1996 and 2002."
- A quote from Susan Priestley
The Glen Shopping Centre has undertaken significant redevelopment efforts to enhance environmental sustainability and reduce its ecological footprint. During construction, 95% of demolition waste was recycled, and sustainable materials like certified timber and responsibly sourced steel were used. Energy efficiency improvements led to a 4 Star Green Star Design & As Built certification, and water conservation measures, such as rainwater harvesting for irrigation and toilet flushing, further contributed to sustainability. However, despite these efforts, the centre still has a significant carbon footprint due to high energy consumption from retail operations, increased traffic congestion leading to emissions, and the environmental impact of large-scale consumerism, which encourages waste production. While sustainability initiatives have been integrated, ongoing efforts are needed to address these challenges and further reduce the shopping centre’s ecological impact.