Forgotten feature of iconic store

It’s the final countdown for a central part of Brisbane’s CBD, with The Myer Centre to close this weekend.

The Myer Centre, which has been a symbol of the city for more than three decades, will be closed after talks between the store and landlord broke down.

“Whilst we remain committed to the Brisbane market, we have been unable to negotiate a reasonable commercial outcome with the landlord and as such will continue to look for an alternative CBD location,” Myer chief executive John King said in a statement in March.

“We thank our team members for their service and will be providing redeployment opportunities at nearby stores.”

First opened in 1988 in time for World Expo ’88, the centre is Myer’s flagship store in Queensland and Australia’s second-largest department store.

In the wake of the decision to close the store, Brisbane locals have taken to social media to share their favourite memories.

Particularly nostalgic was the children’s amusement park Tops that sat at the top of the centre, with no feature more loved than the dragon rollercoaster that shot through the air inside the building.

“Spent many a fun weekend at Tops, tragedy they closed that down, kids these days don‘t know what they missed out on!!” one person said.

“Tops was the crowning jewel to the Myer Centre shopping mall,” another poster said.

As for the Myer-shaped hole in the centre, a contender is stepping forward to fill it.

Griffith University is set to use the space, flagging that any CBD campus would focus on teaching business, law and IT.

The department store is not expected to stray far from its original home, with Myer exploring options for an alternative site.

The company says it is also trying to find redeployment options for its staff in other Brisbane stores such as Indooroopilly, Chermside, Carindale and Upper Mount Gravatt.