Businesses move out of centre

The ASB branch on Tutanekai St is set to close. Photo / Ben Fraser

There will be at least two new "for lease" signs erected in the city centre with Air New Zealand's Holidays store closing its doors and ASB leaving its Tutanekai St location in favour of the Central Mall.

But the changes don't have to be negative news, according to those in charge of revitalising Rotorua's central city. They say, if businesses don't leave, the CBD landscape becomes "static and boring".

Air New Zealand is closing more than half of its Holidays stores, including its Rotorua branch, and selling the remaining stores to an Australian travel company. The company has said the stores would close by the end of this month.

ASB's Rotorua branch will be moving to its Amohau St location in February.

ASB general manager branch banking Grant Gilbert confirmed the bank would close its Tutanekai St branch and would move to its new location in the Rotorua Central Mall in February.

"ASB Tutanekai is relocating to the Rotorua Central Mall. The ASB branch will be equipped with the latest technology, allowing customers more flexibility in regards to when and how they bank."

Mr Gilbert said the decision to move was to "ensure our customers have the best service available" and the new premises allowed that.

He said the new branch would be accessible for all customers and furnished with a Smart ATM, coin dispensing machine, 24/7 transactional facilities and FastConnect.

Rotorua Central Mall representative Peter Faulkner said the ASB's new location was not inside the mall, but in the building fronting Amohau St, alongside the mall's entrance. He said the mall itself was still at full occupancy.

Rotorua Lakes Council Inner City Revitalisation portfolio lead Karen Hunt said the move was an opportunity for a new business, not a bad sign for the city centre.

"While we are sad to see ASB go, we respect their business decision and see this as an opportunity to have a whole new business venture come into town. If businesses never moved we would have a very static, boring landscape.

"This is natural turnover that happens everywhere."

Ms Hunt said she was hoping for an out-of-town business to see this as a prime opportunity to "clinch the deal" and move into the Tutanekai St premises.

Inner City Focus Group spokesman Mike Steiner agreed with Ms Hunt and said he could not understand the logic behind the move. "The Tutanekai and Pukuatua St corner is high profile and, with the huge surge of economic activity Rotorua is experiencing, I don't think it will be vacant for long."

On the move

ASB on the corner of Tutanekai and Pukuatua Sts is moving to Rotorua Central Mall

Air New Zealand Holidays store on Tutanekai St is closing