Westfield unveils version two of retail temple

By ANNE GIBSON

Australian-based shopping mall owner and operator Westfield says it has bowed to community pressure and unveiled a scaled-down Newmarket centre.

But some residents are still unhappy, criticising Westfield for its lack of consultation and saying the new plans are ridiculous.

The mall, cut in size by 27 per cent, will be one of New Zealand's largest retail temples. It is projected to cost $300 million and put at least 120 specialist shops, 2000 carpark spaces, restaurants and eight picture theatres on 2.8ha behind Broadway.

Westfield - controlled by Australasia's second richest man, Frank Lowy - was forced to change its project after it provoked a public outcry early last year.

The plans were pulled just before they were to goto a full Auckland City Council meeting.

The proposed $450 million 11-level mall has been scaled back to three levels of retail, cutting $150 million from the budget.

Gone too is the controversial 25m-long multilevel airbridge spanning Nuffield St, behind Broadway, that was to link Westfield's two sites - a keyhole property on Broadway and a gigantic land-holding which spans the airspace over a railway line.

The mall is now designed to flow directly into Nuffield St, which Westfield hopes will become a people-friendly area with alfresco dining.

Mega-mall advocate Grant Hirst, the former Westfield chief in New Zealand, went back to Australia last year and was replaced by more mild-mannered John Widdup, architect of the proposed changes.

He saidmore than 600 people had been involved in community consultations at 60 meetings.

Westfield was open to more suggestions and was opening the Nuffield St development centre for feedback.

New traffic management proposals will go to the council.

They "incorporate new traffic flow control systems which divert traffic out of the main shopping area and offer better access to public transport and improved and safer pedestrian access", Widdup said.

The centre's frontage pays homage to the distinctive curved former Mercury Energy building, on the corner of Nuffield St and Remuera Rd.

Robin Bailey, chairman of the Newmarket Protection Society - a residents' group formed over the first Westfield plan - and a resident, was angry about not being consulted about the new plans.

"We haven't been approached and knew nothing of the redesign. We hoped we would be given a chance to see the new plans before they were released to the public," Bailey said.

"We're the residents of Newmarket. Westfield says they've consulted Newmarket people. But why haven't they talked to us?"

Long-time Newmarket resident Marie Franklin said the revised plan was ridiculous.

She approves of the loss of the airbridge, but says: "Really, we don't want it at all. We're already over-shopped here now." Owen Lockerbie, who lives in Ada St, near the mall site, and is a protection society member, said the council needed to resolve Newmarket's traffic problems before any new large-scale projects were approved.

Robin Winter, manager of the Newmarket Business Association and Newmarket town centre manager, said she had seen the plans but could not comment until they were open for public viewing.

Peter Corner, chairman of the Newmarket Business Association, also had not seen the revised plans.

Westfeild