Kaitaia kid behind Britomart project

By BERNARD ORSMAN

One of New Zealand's richest and most private men, Peter Cooper, is behind the $350 million heritage and urban redevelopment at Britomart.

Kaitaia-born Peter Cooper has made a $500 million fortune, according to the National Business Review rich list, since leaving New Zealand 15 years ago to turn his hand to property development in the United States.

He also owns investments in Silicon Valley businesses, hedge funds and venture capital outfits.

Cooper began his career as a property solicitor with Russell McVeagh, where his clients included then restaurant-owner and now Auckland City Mayor John Banks.

Dividing his time these days between southern California and Takapuna, Cooper has become a pioneer of mixed-used property development.

His crowning project to date is Southlake Town Centre, an open-air, 1930s-styled townscape near Dallas in Texas that will eventually be 10 times the size of St Lukes in Auckland.

Cooper is passionate about Britomart - "a whole environment sitting there with all the character in the world" - and plans to transform the rundown area into a world-class environment with its own New Zealand identity.

He sees a huge opportunity to create the best shopping and fashion/arts quarter in New Zealand using his contacts to attract global fashion labels, mixed with local fashion and youth retailers.

In fact, Cooper says shopping is the glue that will pull the entire project together and create a 24-hour entertainment precinct that attracts locals and tourists.

"The success of Britomart will be if people embrace it as their own," says the Kaitaia kid.

Bluewater Consortium:
Britomart precinct overall site plan