Neighbourhood villages with an edge - the benefit of transformation.
At Firefly Future, our investment strategy focuses on two key segments of the commercial property market, specifically focusing on prime locations in Southeast Queensland. The first is, neighbourhood villages, and the second is, standalone properties.
This article will focus on how we transform underperforming suburban retail centres into dynamic and vibrant Neighbourhood villages that become iconic landmarks where people love to be.
What is a Neighbourhood Village?
A Neighbourhood Village is a compact and self-contained commercial retail area designed to serve the everyday needs of a neighbourhood's local community. It typically comprises retailers, including supermarkets, fresh food, medical, health and well-being, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and other essential services. The primary purpose of a neighbourhood village is to provide convenient access to everyday goods and services, foster a sense of local identity and promote a vibrant community atmosphere.
How do we determine where a Neighbourhood Village should be established?
In collaboration with our partner, Enhance Property Investments, we actively seek unique opportunities in under-serviced and unrestricted (in Brisbane, unrestricted means the river is not in the way) trade areas that show future population and trade growth. Each trade area is assessed using qualitative and quantitative data to determine the trade area's specific needs. Once we execute this process, we then answer three questions to ascertain its viability:
Will it directly serve the local community?
Will it cultivate successful businesses?
Will it produce safe and sustainable returns for investors?
Once we determine that the trade area and asset meet our selection criteria and possess a significant opportunity for improvement, we acquire the asset and begin our transformation process.
Why are our Neighbourhood Villages successful?
Our primary goals are to build wealth, connection and opportunity for all of our stakeholders (communities, tenants & investors), so we design our villages to serve, excite and unite local communities for the long term.
Our process of transforming underperforming suburban retail centres into successful Neighbourhood Villages involves:
Uncovering and preserving - The value and unique character of the community.
Creating iconic landmarks - Of sought-after places & brands.
Replicable and sustainable model - Focused on serving people’s everyday, and entertainment needs.
Exceptional customer amenities - Villages are pedestrian-friendly, with walkways, open spaces, and amenities that encourage social interaction and community engagement.
Tenant & customer-centred design - According to local community needs, met with a strategically curated tenancy mix.
Co-designed with tenants - Tenants receive collaborative support for long-term business success.
Active asset management - Dedicated team focused on results and continual improvement of each Village.
Strong national tenants - We partner with well-established and recognised national brands such as Coles, IPN Medical Centres, Priceline Pharmacies, Sullivan Nicolaides, Viva Leisure, Hungry Jack's, Taco Bell, 7-Eleven and more, mutually benefitting from their strong customer loyalty and brand reputation.
Generational vision - Assets acquired and developed for long-term ownership by the group.
Personally backing each investment - All investments (Villages) are personally underwritten with 40% continued co-ownership of the portfolio by the group’s partners.
Establishing secure income streams - Underpinned by structured rental growth.
Strong balance sheet - Over $200m co-investments across portfolio, with significant liquidity for new investment opportunities.
Aligning all partners - We pride ourselves on only involving partners who believe in and operate according to our vision, mission and values.
On-going development - As a Village grows, ongoing development is established to meet the community's needs.
Investing in a Neighbourhood Village that becomes a landmark within its local community offers investors numerous advantages. These include prime locations, strong trade in under-serviced areas, highly sought-after product and service offerings, unique and vibrant precincts, secure income streams, active long-term asset management, and the potential for capital appreciation through on-going development. These benefits make Neighbourhood Village properties attractive for those seeking stable returns and reputable investment assets.
At Firefly Future, we invest in commercial retail property assets that improve Australian neighbourhoods. Because we believe the future and relevance of Australian communities is a safe, sustainable and worthwhile investment that benefits everyone.
Firefly Future is part of an integrated group with 30 years of combined industry experience specialising in property development, asset management, and capital. Our portfolio includes managed assets worth $200 million and a secured pipeline of assets valued at $500 million, making us well-equipped to make strategic investments that deliver long-term value to all stakeholders and investors.
To learn more about Firefly Future and our investment opportunities, contact us today. With proven results and an unwavering commitment to create safe, sustainable and prosperous investment opportunities that benefit our communities, our investment opportunities are not to be missed.
