Work begins on $20m retail development

Progress: Work on the development which will house Kmart. Photo/Ben Fraser

A new shopping centre for Rotorua is progressing ahead of schedule.

Work on the $20 million development of the Trade Central site in Amohau St is progressing well, according to Pukeroa Oruawhata general manager Peter Faulkner.

Mr Faulkner said construction workers would appear on site this week with the official handover on March 27.

Kmart is the major tenant in the new development, which could see up to 13 stores added.

Mr Faulkner said there had been "extremely good" interest in the new retail space.

He believed shoppers would be pleased with the mix of retail they were expecting.

"We are aiming to get a retail mix that will support and complement the tenancies."

Mr Faulkner said it would be great to be fully leased when the development opened before Christmas, and it was looking like that was a possibility.

Kmart was targeting an opening of March 2018 but other tenants were expected to move in earlier.

The development at the site will add an extra 8848sq m of retail space to the Trade Central site, which is home to Mitre 10 Mega and Hunting & Fishing.

The development is being carried out by Pukeroa Properties No2, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust.