Supermarket stalls shopping hub

Work on the latest multimillion-dollar shopping centre in the Bay is expected to start by the year's end _ eight months later than anticipated.
The $50 million Boardwalk at Papamoa Junction has been delayed while the developers patiently wait for final word from the country's biggest supermarket operator, Progressive Enterprises, at present caught in the middle of a strike with its distribution workers.
The Papamoa Junction directors have a lease drawn up with Progressive to establish a Countdown supermarket by November 2007 but it hasn't yet been signed.
Since that agreement, the Australian Woolworths company has taken over New Zealand Progressive and the board has yet to sign off on 12 projects around the country.
Papamoa Junction has set a deadline of November 1 to complete the deal with Progressive.
"We need a full year to build and we are starting to get stretched if the supermarket is not approved by November _ we still haven't even seen a design," said Maurice Weaver, one of the Papamoa Junction directors.
"We want a supermarket as an anchor tenant. Other national retailers have told us they will sign a lease agreement `when you get the supermarket' _ that's when things will start moving," he said.
Mr Weaver said the future of Boardwalk was also tied in with the residential development of Papamoa East (Wairakei and Te Tumu), which will house 40,000 residents over the next 30 years or so.
"When Wairakei is rezoned [from rural to residential and business] _ which should be within six months _ then you will see a flurry of construction activity on the retail site."
Andy Ralph, Tauranga City Council's environmental policy manager, said the rezoning through district plan change 44 could occur during the first quarter of next year _ as long as there was no appeal to the Environment Court.
The $300m Papamoa Junction development, off Parton Rd, also includes an industrial site over 48ha, with more than 50 lots having already been established and taken up.
Mr Weaver is not convinced that Papamoa is becoming over-supplied with shops and he said the Papamoa East re-zoning will give an assurance that more people will come and live in the area.
Centa Max, including Fashion Island and the Palm Beach Shopping Plaza off Domain Rd, are charging ahead and the hub of Wairakei will be the Modena Beach town centre. Mr Weaver said the Boardwalk will concentrate on bulk format retailers.
"Customers will come and visit us for whiteware, televisions and furniture and then go to Fashion Island to buy clothes _ we can work in well.
"Modena Beach is talking of having high street developments, more in keeping with downtown Tauranga and they will be at the other end of Wairakei. They also need Te Tumu and I don't think Modena Beach will be happen for another 10 years," said Mr Weaver.
Once Papamoa East is opened up, the growth will surpass anything that has happened to date because the availability of land has always held up Papamoa, said Mr Weaver.
The 8ha Boardwalk shopping centre will be developed in four stages over four years _ and first is the supermarket.
Stage two will comprise up to nine large format stores, followed by professional offices, banks, NZ Post and other convenience and specialty stores. The Boardwalk will be finished off with an entertainment centre of cafes and bars and could include a cinema, 10-pin bowling and laser strike.