Fremantle’s historic Woolstores are in for a $14m revamp after final tick of approval

A major revamp of the rubble of the historic Fremantle Woolstores has received the final tick of approval, with the site that once homed the State’s biggest wool-selling facility now destined to become a shopping precinct.

The Metro Inner-South Joint Development Assessment Panel this week approved plans for a $14 million development of the Woolstores site, after the Fremantle council unanimously backed the plans late last year.

The new three-storey iteration — led by Freo based developer Silverleaf — will feature a childcare centre, liquor store and offices at the southeast corner of the site, facing both Queen and Cantonment streets.

The $14 million proposal was given the green light from councillors at their January ordinary council meeting and now has only to pass through the Metro Inner-South Joint Development Assessment Panel on January 30 for a final tick.

Coles closed its doors at the site in October 2021 ahead of the shopping centre building’s demolition early last year.

The site — which is just across from Fremantle train station — first had development approval for a hotel and retail tenancies, after going through the process in 2020.

It had also been touted as a home for a new Fremantle Police Complex, but the State Government instead settled on the Stan Reilly site on South Terrace for a purpose-built policing hub.

The current supermarket proposal is only stage one of the greater redevelopment of the site with plans for stage two — a $65m apartment and commercial application in the middle portion of the site — lodged with the State Development Assessment Unit.

The port city’s CBD went months without any supermarket for locals and tourists until IGA opened in the FOMO precinct last May.

Neither Woolworths nor Aldi have a presence in the CBD.

According to the application, Coles and other retail tenancies will occupy the ground floor, with a childcare centre above.

The first and second floors will have 147 car parking bays and 17 motorbike bays, and office tenancies on both levels.