'Urban village' plan for Pakuranga plaza

Plans are for 1ha of new office space, and up to 6ha or 60,000sq m of new retail, service, food and beverage, entertainment, hotel, conference and community space including a library with a civic plaza and public open spaces. Photo / Getty

Pakuranga Plaza will become a new "urban village", with a hotel, conference centre, community facilities, apartments, offices and more shops in a $500 million upgrade.

Mah Bow Tan, chairman of the plaza's Singaporean-headquartered owner GYP Properties, will today announce a grand scheme to transform the mall, including developing publicly owned land around it.

"The proposed development would see over $500 million invested in Pakuranga and the proposed retail and commercial properties would house over 1300 people working in the facilities on a daily basis," his company said.

Plans are for 1ha of new office space, and up to 6ha or 60,000sq m of new retail, service, food and beverage, entertainment, hotel, conference and community space including a library with a civic plaza and public open spaces.

GPY is a subsidiary of Singaporean listed company Global Yellow Pages. Tan said the scheme would enhance the wider area and he cited the Pakuranga Town Centre Masterplan.

"The proposal is the first step of designing the future of Pakuranga and GYP will work with Auckland Council and other stakeholders to deliver a truly integrated development that includes housing, new community facilities and improved retail alongside major transport investment," Tan said.

While the proposal is still a work in progress, the vision is for the site to become an urban village where people live, work and play locally.

Mah Bow Tan

GPY has engaged architects Warren and Mahoney and is working with Auckland Council, the main owner of land surrounding the existing shopping centre.

"GYP, Auckland Council and the Howick Local Board all share a common passion," Tan claimed.

Local investors Ross and Dallas Pendergrast of Ladstone Holdings last year sold the mall in one of the year's biggest transactions for $96 million. Ladstone had carried out extensive renovations before the sale.