Lucas, the new suburb set to cover about 750 hectares in Ballarat West, will have 14,000 homes and a neighbourhood activity centre with a supermarket, shops and a medical centre.

Planning documents forming part of the precinct structure plan lodged by Lascorp Australia last month features a $5 million community centre, a $2.6 million district park and an adventure playground costing $450,000.

The activity centre will have 6500 square metres of retail space and is expected to create local employment and essential community services. Lascorp national development manager Rob Harris said the neighbourhood activity centre will bring economic benefits.

“This development will bring benefits to existing residents who are currently lacking quality community and retail spaces.

“There has long been need for more infrastructure in the area and we are optimistic construction will be completed by the end of 2012,” Mr Harris said.

The suburb, officially created by the City of Ballarat council in February, will be bounded by Remembrance Drive, Dyson Drive, Ballarat-Carngham Road and the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail.

Work will include upgrades to roads, public transport facilities including bus stops, and open space.

The suburb, named after Eleanor Lucas and the staff of her local textile company, who planted Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour after World War I, will eventually be home to 40,000 residents. Architectural drawings for the Lucas town centre show contemporary architecture and town planning, areas for outdoor cafes and dining, and stylish landscaping.

Commerce Ballarat board member David Wright said Lucas was a welcome addition to the Ballarat region.

“The area will certainly strengthen Ballarat as a provincial Victorian city. We support the council in their planning for the needs of residents in the west,” Mr Wright said.

Colliers International director Andrew Lewis predicted the new suburb would become a sought after location within Ballarat.

“I think the development will be very successful and we’d expect residential and commercial properties there to be well sought after,” Mr Lewis said. “As new and attractive investments for reselling, they will be great opportunities for investors.”