Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Time is right to reinvent Rotorua CBD in Covid-19 aftermath, Chamber says

Carmen Hall
By Carmen Hall
Rotorua Daily Post·
25 May, 2020 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Covid-19 could be the catalyst to reshape Rotorua's CBD. Photo / File

Covid-19 could be the catalyst to reshape Rotorua's CBD. Photo / File

Covid-19 could be the catalyst to reshape Rotorua's CBD and now is the time for brave, bold plans, a prominent business leader says.

Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said businesses were hurting and there were empty shops in the town centre but a united vision was needed more than ever.

''I believe that there is a tremendous will in the general populace to work together to get that outcome. And that will have been strengthened by the advent of the Covid-19 disaster. So there will never be a better time to come up with a brave new plan for the CBD.''

Rotorua shoppers in the CBD.  Photo / File
Rotorua shoppers in the CBD. Photo / File

Heard said if everyone was on the same page and could work together the combined efforts could reap big benefits for Rotorua.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He was in favour of more Māori architecture as Māoridom was at the heart of Rotorua.

Open up the latest news from Rotorua

Get daily headlines from the Rotorua region straight to your inbox.
Please email me competitions, offers and other updates. You can stop these at any time.
By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

''Māori architecture is very attractive. Eat Streat was supposed to replicate the look of a giant waka made out of wood.

''Rotorua has got three things that no one else has really got. It's the centre of Māoridom, the epicentre of wood and we have geothermal.''

Rotorua Chamber of Commerce acting chief executive Bryce Heard. Photo / File
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce acting chief executive Bryce Heard. Photo / File

Mayor Steve Chadwick said the council wanted a vibrant city heart that people could enjoy visiting, which provided a supportive environment for businesses and encouraged inner-city living.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A lot has been done to improve the inner city environment during recent years, she said.

''But as with everything, we need to keep reviewing and reassessing to ensure we're able to achieve the outcomes we want.''

Discover more

Property

'There is plenty of opportunity': Apartment living could revitalise Rotorua CBD experts say

17 Jan 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Fighting, swearing and spitting forces CBD store to close

09 Feb 04:00 PM
New Zealand

'It's very worrying:' Coronavirus fallout hits businesses and tourism operators

02 Mar 04:00 PM

Council to consider free parking in Rotorua CBD

15 May 03:02 AM

During recent years the council had undertaken safety improvements, beautification, improvements to intersections and gathering spaces and created Eat Street.

It had established weekly Thursday night and Sunday morning markets, along with other activation events and activities to bring people into the CBD, she said.

''We've also been saying for some years now that we'd like to see more inner-city living and there are opportunities for property owners to consider that.''

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick. Photo / File
Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick. Photo / File

Professionals Rotorua McDowell Real Estate commercial salesperson Nadia Christensen said she had noticed more shop vacancies in the CBD and some landlords had reduced rents by up to 50 per cent during Covid-19.

''I would say all good landlords have been or will be helping tenants in any way to keep their premises full and occupied. Times will be tough for all trading sectors in town and in the suburbs and industrial areas for a wee while. Landlords simply will need to be flexible and reasonably fair.''

But there was still activity with businesses opening and moving sites.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''I have leased a retail space during lockdown to a fantastic new business that will be opening up soon in the old Webbs shoe shop space.''

Christensen said she believed Rotorua would definitely bounce back.

''There are some really creative, entrepreneurial people living around here and in the woodwork who will flourish.''

Eat Streat.  Photo / File
Eat Streat. Photo / File

Meanwhile, Colliers International Rotorua broker Mark Rendell said the market was tight prior to Covid-19, particularly in the industrial sector with a low rate of vacancies at about 5 per cent.

''It has been encouraging to see that both tenants and owner occupiers are still trying to fulfil their pre-Level 4 requirements – and there seems to be plenty of goodwill around this.''

Early indications are that rental and sale prices are set to stay at close to pre-Covid levels, he said.

''Our year to date totals to the end of March were higher than the same period in 2019, and to date we are sitting at around the same level as this time last year.''

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Rotorua Daily Post

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

04 Jul 01:08 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM

Peter was trapped under a tractor for hours on his Mangakino farm.

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

04 Jul 01:08 AM
'A f****** ugly mess': Gang boss' text after fatal hotbox attack on mate of 20 years

'A f****** ugly mess': Gang boss' text after fatal hotbox attack on mate of 20 years

04 Jul 12:24 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search