Progress at last for Estella shops

Plans have been lodged with Wagga City Council for a single-storey shopping centre featuring a 1700-square metre supermarket, bottle shop, pharmacy, café, three specialty stores and more than 100 car spaces.

A development application was previously lodged for the site, on the corner of Avocet and Rainbow drives, in August 2009, which is believed to have lapsed.

At the time of the lodgment of the previous development application, the shopping centre was scheduled to open in July 2011.

The latest development application for the site, being managed by Raine and Horne, remains on public display until January 27.

Raine and Horne Wagga director Grant Harris said timelines for the development could not be committed to until it received council approval.

"We want to commence it as soon as we can but we're hamstrung by the people we've got to go through," he said.

"It's in everyone's best interests for it to happen as soon as possible."

Should the current development application be approved, Raine and Horne will move to call for expressions of interest for the construction of the centre and tender out the build.

Mr Harris has called on the Estella community, which has been waiting more than five years for work to begin on the site, to keep up their patience as the centre goes through the approval process.

"We're really seeking people's patience, but we definitely want it up and running," he said.

"We need their support to make it work - we value their patience but we also value their custom when it's built."

Included in the plans for the centre is a provision to expand it at a future stage, with tentative plans to double the size of the supermarket and add a gym and childcare centre down the track.