From Abandoned Eyesore to Spooky Attraction? Bold New Plans for Caringbah Marketplace

Finn Seabrook | Local Correspondent | Sutherland Shire Gazette

6 March 2025

After over a decade of sitting in eerie silence, the abandoned Caringbah Marketplace might finally be getting the transformation it deserves - not as an Aldi, but as the Shire’s first-ever ghost-themed amusement park.

The shopping centre, which officially shut its doors in 2012 but looked abandoned for at least five years before that, has long been a mystery to locals. Despite Aldi purchasing the site, endless planning delays have left the supermarket giant unable to break ground, leading some residents to speculate that the property is, in fact, cursed.

“It’s got the perfect haunted vibe,” said local urban explorer Ben Tully, 29. “The automatic doors still randomly open sometimes, the car park smells like an ancient crypt, and everyone swears they’ve heard whispers coming from the old Donut King.”

Now, fresh rumours suggest that rather than fighting against the building’s spooky reputation, developers are leaning into it—proposing a full-scale ghost town attraction. Early plans reportedly include a ghost train, an escape room and a carousel of forgotten shops with hauntingly accurate recreations of Blockbuster, Crazy Clark’s, and a florist that somehow stayed open despite never selling a single bouquet.

While Aldi has yet to confirm or deny the rumours, locals are cautiously optimistic. “Honestly, at this point, I’d just like something to happen there,” said long-time resident Linda Davies. “Either build an Aldi, open a haunted house, or just embrace it and let the ghost of Video Ezy roam free.”

Spooky attraction Caringbah Marketplace