CHEMIST Warehouse is set to move into the vacant former Coles building following a sale worth more than $4 million.
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The sale of the building, which has been vacant since the supermarket giant moved out nearly 12 months ago, was recently settled.
It’s unclear when the chemist will open at the site, which is the largest in High Street.
It has a floorspace of about 2300 square metres and 41 metres of frontage onto Wodonga’s main street, and 61 car parking spots.
The business will be an addition to the Albury Chemist Warehouse on Olive Street, which opened in September 2007, and Springdale Heights, which opened in 2010 or 2011.
The company did not respond to enquiries from The Border Mail on Wednesday and Thursday.
The real estate agent was unable to comment on the matter.
Chemist Warehouse already has stores at 127 locations throughout Victoria.
There are already two chemists in Wodonga’s main street in Terry White Chemmart and Wodonga Pharmacy.
The addition of Chemist Warehouse will provide some comfort to traders on the shopping strip, who have expressed concern about the number of vacant buildings available.
Business people recently told The Border Mail plans to revamp the stretch of road over a six-month period, starting in January, had made some people nervous to sign leases.
The project will remove the dip in the road and include new paving, street lighting and landscaping.
The council says parking numbers would be “similar” to what is currently available.
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Butcher Jeff Beazley, who moved out High Street in 2016, said high rents could also be keeping businesses away.
“I think a lot of people are scared about the roadworks that are going to happen soon,” he said.
“You’re not going to move into a shop where there are a heap of roadworks going on and people can’t get to it.”
Others have said there is an oversupply of commercial properties in the area.
Mann Central, which has the new Coles and other buildings, opened about the same time as the nearby Woolworths development, creating new retail stores.
Other major business, including banks, have relocated from the older section of High Street into new buildings.
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