Westfield Completes Manukau City Development

Westfield Completes NZ$70 Million Manukau City Development

Westfield New Zealand has completed the NZ$70 million development of Westfield Manukau city centre with the Grand Opening on Thursday 29 November 2007.

The investment in the redevelopment of the Westfield Manukau City shopping centre has seen 40 new retail stores added along with a new outdoor dining and entertainment area and a new two level car parking building.

Westfield Manukau City now has over 170 specialty stores, major retailers Foodtown and Farmers, and mini majors JB Hi Fi; Number 1 Shoes, and a new format Whitcoulls store.

A key component of this project is the SKYCITY Cinemas which will open in 2008.

Westfield has owned the Manukau shopping centre since 1998 and in that time the company has invested NZ $19 million by completing a redevelopment and ambience upgrade in 2003 and 2004 respectively in the centre’s ongoing development. The new development will create a further 279 new retail jobs at the centre taking the total number of those employed at Manukau City to 1,458.

Westfield New Zealand Director, Justin Lynch said it has been Westfield’s aim to continue to promote a diverse, vibrant Manukau City and the new development celebrates the city’s cultural diversity in its design.

“Throughout the centre, in particular the new alfresco dining area, pieces of Manukau’s cultural fabric have been woven into the building and its design,” he said.

“We are committed to ensuring that Westfield Manukau City is part of a vibrant and prosperous city centre. We believe our investment in Manukau City to complete this significant redevelopment will have a positive benefit for our retailers, shoppers and importantly for the local community.

Earlier this month Westfield opened the new NZ$210 million Westfield Albany centre taking the value of the Group’s investment in New Zealand to over NZ$3 billion. The company plans to invest a further NZ$500 million in its New Zealand assets over the next 5 years.

Westfield entered the New Zealand market and then purchased the St Luke’s Group portfolio of shopping centres with an initial investment of around NZ$1 billion in 2000.

– ENDS –

© Scoop Media