Retail firms driving Mt Roskill revival

The 10,000sq m retail centre at Stoddard Rd is expected to be completed by mid-October. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Retail businesses are flocking to Auckland's Mt Roskill which is undergoing a mini building boom.

New premises are being developed for food business McDonald's, The Warehouse, Countdown and 20 other new shops - and real estate experts say the fast-developing area rapidly needs more shops.

Wanaka-based investor Bruce Ansley, director of Graphite Management is the busiest developer, after buying a 2.2ha site from NZX-listed Infratil where The Warehouse and McDonald's are being built. However, more shops will be built there soon if new leases are signed.

Via Colliers International, he is seeking tenants to lease another 20 shops to be built at 22 Stoddard Rd, all clustered between a large supermarket on an adjoining site, McDonald's and The Warehouse.

An 828sq m shop is advertised alongside The Warehouse, a 409sq m shop, three 305sq m shops then smaller formats with parking arranged around the premises.

Ansley's site is between Stoddard Rd and the southwestern motorway and adjoins the New World supermarket which fronts May Rd.

Angela Bull of Foodstuffs (Auckland) said the New World store had been trading well.

"Mt Roskill is really growing and developing. There's been a lack of retail opportunities and services in the area for a long time," she said, noting how the new developments were near Foodstuffs' (Auckland) support centre on Roma Rd off May Rd. Many people worked at those premises, she said.

An Infratil spokesman said Mt Roskill had significant retail leakage but good demographics, meaning it has a large suburban population with too few retail outlets to meet the residents' needs.

Progressive Enterprises is developing a new $20 million Countdown nearby on Stoddard Rd, as part of its big expansion to build 21 new or replacement stores.

Before selling the retail centre land, Infratil said its Stoddard Rd depot was "a substantial facility with a site area of 22,198sq m reaching to the new State Highway 20 motorway extension, which will significantly improve its accessibility to both the south, west and CBD".

Buildings which were on the site but now demolished had reached the end of their economic life so Infratil Infrastructure Property developed options for the land's development.

"Part of the site was sold to Transit for the development of a train station at the rear of the property. This provides an opportunity for IIP to redevelop their site for alternatives like a neighbouring shopping hub with a range of users. Strategically located at the intersection of key arterial routes and the new motorway, and serviced by excellent public transport connection, the site is set for redevelopment to capitalise on these areas of significant growth," Infratil said before selling to Ansley.

A Colliers spokesperson said construction of the Stoddard Rd retail centre started this month with completion targeted for mid-October.

"The centre will cover land area of around 10,000sq m. Nearly half of the specialty retail area is now under offer, with around a third of the tenancies having been already under negotiation before marketing started."

ON THE UP

22 Stoddard Rd:
* Estimated primary population: 23,522 people
* By 2016: 24,414 people
* Average annual household income: $64,006
* Primary and secondary catchments: 68,804 people
* By 2016: 71,546 people

Source: Colliers International