Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
New South Auckland retail hub
New South Auckland retail hub supports council plans for urban regeneration
South Auckland’s newest retail shopping hub has opened – with more than 93 percent of the tenancy schedule already full.
The Hub precinct at 225 Great South Road in Otahuhu features 16 retail premises sitting on some 2221 square metres of land - on what was previously a conglomeration of a used car yard surrounded by a variety of automotive service businesses.
Only one unit within the U-shaped complex remain vacant, in what leasing agent Geoff Wyatt from Bayleys Manukau has called one of the most satisfying leasing projects he has worked on.
Among the branded tenants occupying space within The Hub complex are:
Early childhood education service operator Educare Childcare which occupies 600 square metres of premises on an upper level and is licensed to care for up to 100 children at a time and have vacanies still available.
Cash Converters, which has signed up for a prominent 317 square metres of retail space
Jetts 24 fitness gym, which has taken 357 square metres of ground floor plate, and is aiming for a roll of 1000 members and
Convenience food operator Pita Pit, which has committed to 91 square metres of space in a corner location.
Mr Wyatt said other businesses within The Hub precinct included a chemist, dctor’s clinic, dental surgery, kebab outlet, sushi shop, curry house, health food supplements store, hairdresser, and nail salon. The precinct is supported by 75 car parks.
The only remaining empty site at the Great South Road complex is a 90 square metres premises which has been reserved for a café business – either with a stand-alone operator, or under a branded chain moniker.
Mr Wyatt said The Hub’s broad yet complimentary tenancy mix had been subscribed after giving close consideration to the Otahuhu Mainstreet & Commercial Association’s 2013 – 2018 Strategic Plan - which highlighted that the suburb suffered not only from failing to offer a varied retail mix, but also from poorly presented shop fronts.
The commercial report also indicated that central Otahuhu had “too many cheap shops” and too many “apathetic tenants.”
“Conscious of those comments in the association’s analysis, the developers of The Hub sought to tenant the destination with a broad range of tenants in a quality commercial centre. Being a new-build, the issue of operating in a run-down premises was simply not an issue at The Hub,” Mr Wyatt said.
Similar sentiments on the need for upgrading the district’s commercial property scene also came to the fore in Auckland City Council’s Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Area Plan which laid down a pathway for urban growth in South-West Auckland over the coming 30 years.
The report identified that six key opportunities needed to be fulfilled to transform Māngere-Ōtāhuhu into a vibrant growth area. Otahuhu was spotlighted several times among the key opportunities with terms such as ‘revitalise and enhance’ used alongside the term “comprehensive redevelopment, planning and partnerships with major landowners.”
Mr Wyatt said the rapid leasing process for The Hub reflected that retailers and business operators, in line with the developer’s thinking, had obviously recognised there was a need for such a new centre on the Otahuhu town centre fringe.
“Otahuhu is what urban planners describe as a ‘mature’ suburb. As a result, many of the retailing premises in and around the town centre date back to the early 1900s and pre-World War II - and while those buildings sustain a degree of town centre character, many have been neglected from a maintenance and aesthetics perspective over the past few decades,” he said.
“The Hub’s developers looked at regenerating and refurbishing various premises within the central heritage part of town, but after close analysis it was deemed to be far easier to start with a clean palate and deliver a new-build scenario instead.
“Integral to the decision was also the ability to deliver 75 car parks for customers and shoppers accessing retailers and service providers within The Hub.”
ends
Bayleys Real Estate
New Zealand
Bayleys is New Zealand's largest full-service real estate company. We offer expertise in the marketing and sale of a wide range of property, including residential real estate, farms and lifestyle blocks, and commercial and industrial property. This includes tourism and business sales such as hotels and motels. We also cover the real estate markets in Fiji and other Pacific Islands.
Bayleys also provides a complete property and facilities service including property management and valuations teams focused on achieving both Owner and Tenant satisfaction.
No other real estate company can match our breadth of coverage across all market sectors throughout New Zealand.
University of Canterbury: What Makes People Tick Environmentally?
Gallagher Security: Release Of New Command Centre Unlocks New Era Of Security Tech
Fix & Fogg: NASA Hand-picks Kiwi Nut Butter Brand To Travel To Space In NZ First
Citizens of the Sea: Sailors To Revolutionise Our Understanding Of Pacific Biodiversity
Netsafe: Making A Splash With Online Safety: Netsafe Launches New Flagship Programme For Kids
NZGBC: Flood Resilience PhD Student Widi Auliagisni Named Future Thinker Of The Year 2024
