First apartments hit the market as construction nears for the Scotts Centre

Two of the 11 apartments are being sold off the plan through @Realty agents James and Toni Thompson.

The first of the apartments is being referred to as Carillon 1 and is priced at $1.1 million, while the second apartment on the market, Town Square 2, is $900,000.

Both apartments have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and come with a secure parking space.

Construction is expected to start on the residential development, now known as Grandview, in January 2026, with occupants anticipated to start moving into the apartments in spring 2026.

The developer of the Scotts Centre, Andrew Mencinsky, said he is already seeing interest from prospective buyers.

"We actually have someone flying in from Perth this weekend to have a look at one," he said.

"It was a surprise, but he's coming into town and he says, 'I want to have a look at an apartment'.

"We've had quite a few local people inquire as well, engagement on the real estate websites is really strong, and I think that buzz is beginning to build."

Part of the reason why some of the apartments have hit the market already is to offer buyers the opportunity to customise their new homes.

While customisation is generally limited to the fittings and finishes, one of the apartments, Carillon 1, has the potential to have a private lift added, connecting the residence to its assigned parking space on the ground floor.

"This, fundamentally, is giving buyers an opportunity to shape their dream apartment to their exact personal tastes," Mr Mencinsky said.

He said this level of customisation is rare for apartments and is made possible with the boutique nature of the development, where no two apartments are the same.

"It's not just a colour scheme that you have the ability to customise, it's every element of it," he said.

Mr Mencinsky said another benefit to buying now is securing an apartment for a lower price.

Only a small number of the apartments will be listed for sale prior to construction, with the rest to become available once construction is complete.

"It gives people a chance to pick their dream apartment and customise it. In addition, from a buyer perspective, our off-the-plan pricing will probably be the most competitive pricing," Mr Mencinsky said.

"We think once these apartments are built, and people see what these apartments are, that we will probably attract a higher price post-construction.

"They are oversized apartments with large terraces, the best location and outlook in town, and they'll be finished to a very high level. Bathurst won't have seen apartments like these before."

He acknowledged the high price tag attached to the apartments, but he said they are "premium" residences with terraces, luxuriously fitted out, and located "in the best part of town".

The development application (DA) for the Scotts Centre's transformation was approved by Bathurst council in August 2025.

Since then, the team behind the redevelopment has been working on the detailed design and talking with planners and contractors about the delivery of the project.

Mr Mencinsky is confident construction will be able to start in early 2026 and be completed within nine months.

The work will include adding a third storey, renovating the second floor to make way for apartments, and replacing some of the ground floor commercial and arcade areas with car parking spaces.

During consultation, existing commercial tenants had raised concerns about the impact of construction on their businesses.

When Mr Mencinsky addressed Bathurst council in August, he was adamant construction would be carried out in a way that would ensure minimal disruption to businesses.

Speaking to the Western Advocate in late October, he reiterated that this was still his intention.

"I am a man of my word. I said I would minimise the impact on tenants as much as possible, and that's the way that we're undergoing design and build planning," he said.

He said they have found a way to assemble the necessary scaffolding without having to use the footpath, ensuring access is maintained to all the businesses.

They are also prepared to do some of the more disruptive internal work overnight when businesses aren't operating, and are already looking at generators to ensure power is maintained.

"Really, everything that we're doing is about keeping those businesses able to trade every single day," Mr Mencinsky said.

At this stage, completion is slated for September 2026.