It's been a long while since Wanganui has witnessed a building boom to match the one that's currently changing the city's landscape.
While some of the new work has been prompted by concerns over older buildings not meeting demanding earthquake standards, others are being driven by business expansion or the need to upgrade existing premises.
The construction boom is being led by the $9.6 million Victoria retail centre between Victoria Avenue and St Hill Street. Dominated by the new Farmers department store, it also includes 10 smaller retail stores, seven of them fronting the Avenue and the rest on Maria Place. This development comes hard on the heels of the opening of new stores for Rebel Sports and Briscoes Homeware which have gone up on the corner of the Avenue and Dublin Street.
And the new $400,000 office for AA Wanganui on the Avenue-Ingestre Street intersection opened for business in July. Built by Wallace Development, it recently sold at auction for $970,000.
Outside the central retail area, commercial building has picked up pace on London Street with construction of the new BP Connect service station on schedule to open before Christmas.