Stores are starting to open at Rotorua's new Redwood Centre.
Kiwibikes has already opened and Burger Fuel is set to open tomorrow at the new complex at the intersection of Te Ngae and Tarawera Rds. Couplands Bakery is planning to open on Thursday.
The rest of the businesses are expected to open within the next four to six weeks and an official opening is planned for next month.
Of the 19 convenience retail sites, 14 tenancies have been signed up.
The developer of the upmarket complex, Tony Bradley, has previously confirmed 24-hour gym Anytime Fitness, Couplands Bakery, Best Sushi, Burger Fuel, Tarawera Superette and specialised takeaways Te Arawa Fisheries will be leasing sites at the complex.
Kiwibikes, Te Ngae Medical Centre, Te Ngae Physio and Pilates and Te Ngae Pharmacy have previously confirmed they will be moving into the complex.
Wholesale Liquor and an independent butcher have also since signed leases and negotiations are still being held with a well known but yet to be named pizza brand.
Mr Bradley said he expected most of the stores still to open would do so by March.
Burger Fuel Australasia general manager Craig Notman has previously said the store was moving from its current Rotorua Central location to a bigger site at the Redwood Centre.
Mr Notman said initially they had planned to open before Christmas but decided not to as they would have been one of the only stores on site.
A special function was being held tonight at which Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters would officially open the store. Burger Fuel will open to the public at its new site at 11am tomorrow.
Bayleys Rotorua leasing specialist Mark Rendell, who is marketing the complex, said the five remaining sites available for lease range in size from 130sq m to 297sq m. A site has been allocated for a cafe operator and there are ongoing discussions with several franchise coffee chains and standalone operators in Rotorua.
He said the remaining sites would suit high volume or lifestyle retail services, such as a video outlet, hairdressing salon, niche computer sales or repair operator, drycleaner, ice cream parlour, Asian noodle bar, pet care shop, Lotto store, or health food specialist.
Mr Rendell said he was confident of signing up the remaining five leases by the middle of the year.
Mr Rendell expected the Redwood Centre to become the preferred retail convenience hub for Lynmore and servicing the rural lakes district.
"From a town planning and business model perspective, construction of the Redwood Centre embraces three of the fundamental requirements for a success retail hub," he said.
"Firstly, it is adjacent to a high traffic arterial road with easy access from a roundabout. Secondly, it is the centre of a moderately affluent residential socio-economic catchment zone. And thirdly, it will serve a high-turnover transient customer base through the upmarket holiday homes in the lakes' district."
