Epping Plaza Shopping Centre was officially opened on 29 October 1996 by The Hon. Robert Maclellan, M.L.A. In mid-2007, Epping Plaza underwent major extension and the total number of stores grew to 218. Further development in 2009 included extension and refurbishment of the Fresh Food Hall, now named "Hunter & Gatherer". The area to the north of Hunter & Gatherer was also refurbished. Stage 5 added 11 restaurants and cafés in a street-style setting on the Cooper Street side of Epping Plaza. Reading Cinemas built two extra auditoriums. The completion of Stage 5 rebranded the shopping centre to Pacific Epping. Stage 6 saw the expansion of the hunter and gatherer mall and included 55 specialty retailers, a new Kmart Discount department store, a larger and brand new Woolworths supermarket and a carpark area that will eventually adjoin the as of 2017 unbuilt Costco supermarket, there will also be new access from the opening of Deveny Road. in June 2018 QIC assumed Management rights and 50% ownership of the centre. Quest Apartment Hotels announced in January 2017 that it would build a 96-room hotel that would include an additional 1300sqm of new restaurants at Pacific Epping after securing a lease.
Incidents
On 3 October 2006 a small fire broke out in cinema six of Reading cinemas forcing the evacuation 40 people. Water from fire sprinklers trigged by the blaze also caused damage to a Harris Scarfedepartment store located below the cinema. Police believe the blaze was deliberately lit. On 3 December 2008 shoppers and staff at the shopping centre were evacuated after a wall fell five metres inside Big W's garden centre. Police initially feared Big W's northern wall, which was attached to the fallen one, could also collapse, adding "It was an absolute miracle no one died." The collapse caused Big W, surrounding stores and part of the underground car park to be evacuated and the Big W entrance to the centre to be closed off. It is thought that a burst pipe may have caused the collapse. No one was injured. Police praised the actions of the staff of Big W Epping and Epping Plaza. One of the first cases of swine flu in Australia unconnected with foreign travel were detected at Epping Plaza. A staff member at McDonald's was diagnosed with swine flu virus, and the McDonald's branch was immediately closed.
