Parents of youngsters could soon be spoilt for choice, with two new indoor play centres planned for Penrith.
The Weekender can reveal Chipmunks Playland & Cafe has recently lodged a Development Application (DA) to build a new facility inside Penrith’s Home Consortium, located in the former Masters building on Mulgoa Road.
Founder Lance Spence confirmed the $766,000 project is scheduled to be completed early next year.
“Chipmunks will be opening at Home Consortium Centre early next year and it is going through Council DA now for approval,” he said.
It is understood the centre will be located next to Rebel Sport in the tenancy previously occupied by Focus on Furniture.
The facility would be the latest for the Chipmunks Playland & Cafe franchise, which already boasts 23 sites Australia-wide and two in Sydney, at Prospect and Villawood.
Meanwhile, Crocs Playcentre is also poised to enter the Penrith market.
Late last year, the franchise, which has existing locations at Marsden Park, Castle Hill and Prospect, was granted DA approval to transform the former Early Settler tenancy at the Penrith Homemaker Centre into a playland with an adjoining Muffin Break Cafe.
However, the Crocs proposal remains up in the air, with the Homemaker Centre Management office unable to confirm if and when the development will proceed.
Similarly, Crocs did not respond to the Weekender’s request for comment by time of print.
Both centres are expected to generate a total of 20 staff and will be open seven days per week.
Each will have designated play areas for different age groups as well as space to host birthday parties and private functions, according to the DAs.
Crocs Playcentre is also slated to include a disco room.
It is unknown if the Chipmunks Playland & Cafe will offer drop-off services, vacation care and after school care services, as some Chipmunks stores do.
If both projects come to fruition, it will mean parents will soon have five indoor play centres locally to choose from, which already includes Lollipops, Monkey Mania and Go Bananas.
Alena Higgins is the Weekender’s Senior News Reporter, primarily covering courts and Council issues.
