Former Heatherbrae Masters transforming into Bunnings Warehouse

The big blue store, visible from the Pacific Highway, began turning green late last week.

Bunnings confirmed the company had reached an agreement with the land owner to convert the site into a new Bunnings Warehouse.

Andrew Marks, Bunnings general manager of property, said the new store was expected to open in time for Christmas.

“We look forward to providing the local Heatherbrae community with the widest range of home improvement products backed up by the best service,” he said.

The new Bunnings store will span more than 12,000 square metres.

It will feature an indoor timber trade sales area with a three-lane drive-thru, building materials and landscape supplies yard, kitchen and bathroom displays, cafe and outdoor nursery.

The change follows Woolworths announcement in August 2016 that all Masters stores across the country would close by the end of that year.

The closure of the Heatherbrae Masters came just two years after it was opened.

A group of wealthy families and investors operating under the platform of Home Consortium purchased all 61 of the Masters sites across Australia as well as 21 development sites.

Home Consortium expressed an interest in converting the Heatherbrae store into a small homemakers centre.

However, this did not occur. Instead, Home Consortium on-sold former Masters sites at Heatherbrae, Bankstown and Frenchs Forest for $70 million this month.

According to Cushman and Wakefield, who sold the three NSW-based stores for Home Consortium, the Heatherbrae Masters site sold for $12.3 million.

The Heatherbrae sale included a total land holding of 45,730 sqm, including two facilities – a 13,153 sqm purpose built hardware retail warehouse and a 4,029 sqm large format retail development with four retail tenancies.

The retail facility is currently occupied by retail tenants PETstock, BCF and Don’s Tiles.