After years and years of waiting, Estella is closer than ever to having its own shopping centre.
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Workers started underground water works on the Avocet Drive site on Thursday, moving fire hydrants and lining up pipes for where future shops will be built.
However, it will be at least 18 months before any stores open.
According to real estate agent Craig Tait from Raine & Horne Wagga, the Estella shopping centre developer had spent about $100,000 getting the early works done as a show of good faith to the community while money and contractors were finalised.
“They’re in the last stages of securing finances and this is a show of the commitment to getting it up and running,” Mr Tait said.
“It’s all very close now… they’re looking at renegotiating with the contractor on the actual cost of the works as it would have obviously gone up a bit since the contract was approved. They should get something started by the end of the year and it will be 12 months or so to build the project.”
The work comes after years of delays on the project, which aimed to put a Foodworks supermarket, bottle shop, a pharmacy such as Chemist Warehouse, a butchery, a hairdresser and cafe on the site.
Mr Tait said there were also plans for a childcare centre and gymnasium.