21 December, 2022
Time to say goodbye to the D’Aguilar Store
THE D’Aguilar Corner Store opened its doors for trade for the last time after 94 years on Tuesday December 20, with the building now set to be relocated to make way for a new Shell Service Station.
After plans for the new 24-hour petrol station were released in August 2021, many locals expressed their disapproval of the development through community petitions and on the ‘Save the D’ag Store’ Facebook page.
However, owner of 10 years Mitz Pantic said the upgrade is well overdue as the original building was “falling apart”, and she was happy to see the development approved in June of this year.
“The building has been neglected big time,” Mitz said. Mitz said that whilst she, like many of the locals, will be sad to see the original building go, she was excited to announce that she will be coming back with an even bigger food store
in the new service station. After working in hospitality her entire life, Mitz was excited to be offering a bigger menu with more home-made meals in her new shop alongside the Shell servo.
Whilst originally Mitz had planned to stay open until the development commenced, she said moving out before Christmas would give her the opportunity to take a much- needed holiday.
Mitz said that two shops were available for lease in the new servo, and she decided to take out both and will bring back most of her old staff.
The development was set to commence at an earlier date, however Mitz said a legal matter had been holding it up.
The new Shell service station which will replace the D’Aguilar Corner Store will allow customers to drive into the fuel station and fuel up from one of eight new fuel browsers.
There will also be several parking spots available to make shopping and dining easier.
The aim is to allow more people to use the facilities as previously only street parking was available.
Mayor Peter Flannery praised CDC Developments for listening to the community and understanding their fondness for the existing D’Aguilar Corner Store building.
Cr Flannery said, “While the D’Aguilar Corner Store is not listed on the State or Local Heritage Registers, it has a place in the heart of the community who really want to see some of the original building characteristics maintained.
“CDC Developments initially proposed a very flash, modern design for the new fuel station which raised concerns from local people who felt demolishing the old general store might erode the heritage values of the town.
“Taking on community feedback, CDC Developments went back to the drawing board and came up with a building that maintains the character of the old corner store.
“The developer has done a great job of combining a fit-for-purpose design without sacrificing the look and feel of the original 1928 building.
“I really hope the community appreciates the efforts of the developer to maintain the D’Aguilar Store’s ‘olde worlde’ character while providing a much-needed, expanded service station, car wash, general store and food outlet on the site.”
Councillor Tony Latter (Division 12) acknowledged that the D’Aguilar Corner Store, which has stood on the corner of Wood St and the D’Aguilar Highway since 1928, has a rich history.
“We know the community has strong feelings about keeping the heritage look and feel of their much-loved, old building which has seen the township grow up around it over the past 100 years.
“Moreton Bay Council received 17 submissions from the community asking us to consider the heritage value of the original building.
“While keeping the old building was not a viable option, I’m really pleased that CDC Developments was open to incorporating heritage features into their architectural design and re-designed the entire development following community feedback.”
Mitz said the original D’Aguilar Corner Store building will be donated by the developers to anyone wanting it for historical purposes.
