The rumour mill is in overdrive with word that McDonald’s has been sniffing around The Levee precinct in Maitland looking for a place to set up a new restaurant.
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The rumour comes on the back of an announcement yesterday that Best & Less would move out of The Levee in December and into Hunter Mall, the shopping centre that contains Kmart.
While whispers of the golden arches coming to central Maitland has circulated in the region, Maitland City Council says the fast food giant has not approached them about a move.
The mayor of Maitland, Cr Peter Blackmore, said he had heard the rumours, but did not believe them.
McDonald’s Australia did not respond to the Mercury’s questions about whether a new store was in the pipeline for Maitland.
Talk among High Street retailers and on social media recently has centred on McDonald’s moving into the Best & Less premises in The Levee.
Centre manager Chris Muir confirmed that Best & Less would move into Hunter Mall, which has been rebranded under the Federation Centre banner.
He said Federation Centres management was negotiating with a major national clothing store chain, that did not have a Maitland presence, to move into new retail space being built between Kmart and the future Best & Less site.
Kmart will also extend by about 25 per cent and renovations, including new lighting and floors, will take place to revamp the rest of the centre.
It will be the first major upgrade of the site since it opened in 1983.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Mr Muir said.
“We’re very happy about out the front there [work on The Levee], it’s fantastic.”
Cr Blackmore said there was enough room in central Maitland for a strong indoor shopping centre and a vibrant outdoor mall.
“This is the heart of the city,” he said. “The heart is very important. It pumps out and provides that security to our central business district.
“It comes down to the quality of the store and the goods and prices that people want.”