The neglected and derelict Giralang shops are finally to be demolished despite a High Court challenge looming over the construction of a supermarket at the site.
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Fences have gone up around the site of the suburb's former bustling local centre, which began a slow decline years before the remaining supermarket closed in 2004.
The Belconnen centre became the subject of a bitter and high-profile dispute in 2011 when then Planning Minister Simon Corbell used his call-in powers to approve a 1500-square-metre Woolworths supermarket, retail outlets, a cafe, restaurant and car parks.
An alliance of north Canberra businesses, including local IGA grocery stores backed by Supabarn, appealed the decision in the Supreme Court.
They argued that Mr Corbell's decision was not consistent with the Territory Plan because the development was too large, would create traffic problems and failed to take into account the economic impact on other commercially viable centres.
When their appeal to the Supreme Court failed, the rival supermarket operators appealed to the High Court, where the case will be heard in October.
The owners of the site, Nikias Nominees, have written to the Giralang community this week telling them work was about to start.
Nikias spokesman Dimitri Nikias confirmed the builders had been trying to get approval for the work since the Supreme Court decision in December last year.
He said the community was "champing at the bit" to have a supermarket at the site.
Mr Nikias, who is the director of builders Nikias Diamond, said there was no legal reason why demolition work could not begin following the government's sign-off on the building approval.
"Nikias Diamond is preparing it but that would be a decision of the owners of the site," he said.
A letter sent to parents of students at Giralang Primary School said the company would start preliminary demolition work at the shopping centre on Monday.
"Obviously there will be a level of activity for the duration of the construction of the shopping centre, and every effort will be made to minimise the impact on the school, surrounding residents and any adjacent businesses," the letter says.
Kaleen supermarket owner Chris Haridemos, who is part of the alliance challenging the government's approval of the development, welcomed the demolition of the shops.
He said the residents had been the ones suffering without local shops for 10 years and with a derelict eyesore that attracted vandals.
"I've always been of the opinion that the Giralang shops in the first instance should never have been shut down," Mr Haridemos said.
He said they should have been improved and upgraded like other centres had in the past decade.
But Mr Haridemos is still vehemently opposed to the size of the approved supermarket and said it would kill his business and other grocery retailers in the area.
He said he did not care what retailer set up shop at the site as long as it was a reasonable size.
Giralang Residents' Action Group spokesman Ross Calvert said he was delighted by the decision by the site's owners to proceed with the redevelopment.
However he remained concerned about the High Court challenge possibly stopping the construction of the supermarket.
The court action set down for next month is the opponents' final hope of stopping the supermarket development after the ACT government declined to pursue allegations that Woolworths had used dirty tricks to gain approval last year.
