$40million retail complex planned in south-west Christchurch

31 October 2013

$40 million retail, office, supermarket complex planned for Wigram Skies in south-west Christchurch

Construction will start next year on a $40 million retail, office and supermarket hub at the Ngāi Tahu Property-owned Wigram Skies residential development in south-west Christchurch.

Building consent will shortly be sought for Stage 1, comprising 2000m2 of retail and office space (7000m2 total) and the supermarket, spread across five buildings in what will be called The Landing – retail and mixed use space for Wigram Skies residents and the wider community.

New World today announced it is opening a 2600m2 supermarket in the first of the two-staged development.

Roger Davidson, General Manager Property and Retail Development, Foodstuffs SI Ltd, said Wigram Skies represented an exciting opportunity for a New World supermarket that could service the entire area. The supermarket is set to open by June 2015.

“This area of Christchurch is growing rapidly, even more so since the earthquakes and we are delighted to be working with Ngāi Tahu Property. The supermarket will be in the same vein as the new stores we have opened in Kaiapoi and Ilam, providing customers with the latest trends in shopping experiences.”

Ngāi Tahu Property development manager Alan Grove said The Landing would feature more than 20 shops in total. Joining New World will be cafes, restaurants, and other proposed amenities such as a bank, post office, pharmacy and food outlets.

“Built around an architecturally designed Town Square, the ground floor retail will be complemented by about 1000m2 of office space for the likes of lawyers and accountants to service the local community.”

“At the time of the 2013 census, the population in south west Christchurch sat at 65,400. This figure is expected to treble in the next 35 years. Ngāi Tahu Property has already invested millions of dollars into the whole Wigram Skies development which, when complete, will be home to around 4000 residents

“South West Christchurch is expected to be one of the South Island’s largest urban growth areas following the Canterbury earthquakes and much of this lies directly inside The Landing’s primary catchment.

“Since 2002, more than 2000 new sections have been produced in Wigram Skies, and the surrounding area alone. Demand is not expected to ease with an anticipated 10,000 new households to accommodate.”

Stage 1 features three buildings comprising 11 stores and Stage 2 will be 10 stores across two buildings. There is future development potential with another 12,000m2 of development land earmarked for a variety of uses such as a pre-school, vet clinic, community services centre and high-density residential

Grove said Ngāi Tahu Property had undertaken extensive research overseas into good design, to ensure that The Landing would be extremely pedestrian friendly with covered walkways and a sunny, sheltered town square complete with water feature and communal seating.

Wigram Skies is situated on the former Wigram Aerodrome where the history remains an integral part of the development and is remembered in the historic buildings, street and neighbourhood names and in the reserve and memorial areas. Also located in the vicinity is the 25ha light industry subdivision, Wigram Business Park. The first stage, comprising 17 sites, has only one section remaining and six sections are already under contract in Stage 2.

The Landing has been designed by the Buchan Group and is being leased by Nick Doig, Colliers International.

ENDS

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