Auckland economist Josephine Grierson wants to spend $2 million turning the derelict former Palmers Garden Centre, at Northcote, into a discount clothing and goods outlet.
At least 150 jobs could be created at the former plant barn on the 1.4ha Akoranga Dr site. Grierson is planning a mega-centrealong the lines of the successful Dressmart stores in Onehunga, Tawa, and Hornby in Christchurch.
North Shore City Council's regulatory and hearings committee sits at 8.30am today to decide on the application from Discount Brands, of which Grierson is a director with partner Bruce Ryrie. They have hired property specialist Mark Cooper, QC, to represent them.
Fresh from her $1 million Court of Appeal victory over Eric Watson's business empire last month, Grierson says the North Shore would benefit from her plan to establish and run a discount outlet centre.
"There is a $16 million net leakage of retail expenditure from the North Shore in the clothing and footwear sector alone and a large amount of that goes to Dressmart in Onehunga," she said. "This is an opportunity to pull back expenditure from the other side of the bridge."
Cafes, a childcare centre, 56 shops, 291 carparks and stores selling footwear, clothing, jewellery and music at between 10 per cent and 70 per cent below normal retail prices are planned for the 4000sq m store opposite Onewa Domain.
The vast store had been disused for five years, broken into, vandalised, tagged with offensive graffiti and become a home to vagrants, Grierson said.
"Other firms like Symphony Group, Mitre 10 and Briscoes all had a look at this property before," she said, but got little encouragement to transform it.
The council's report on Discount Brands' application gives Grierson little hope. It refers to traffic problems and a detrimental effect on existing retail centres such as Sunnybrae Rd, Northcote, Takapuna and Glenfield.
