The addition of Chic Hairdressing to Wanganui's newest downtown mall leaves just two or three more spaces to fill for owner Alex Garrett.
The hairdressing salon opened in the Taupo Quay mall on July 20, after a frantic six weeks to prepare the space with flooring, wall coverings, electrical and other work, business owner Kirsten Williamson said.
Her father managed that project, while she chose the boutique look.
The previous Chic premises were at 68 Ingestre St, in an old wooden building. Miss Williamson said the move downtown was a big and expensive step for her business, but it needed more space and she wanted to be at the more upmarket end of Victoria Ave.
Also, she likes the new place.
"It's fabulous, because we have great river views."
She has been hairdressing for 13 years, and was trained in Wanganui.
She and Belinda Cameron are both full-time at Chic, and share the new premises with part-timers Kama Wikeepa and Cherie Alderton.
They specialise in cutting and colouring hair.
Their addition to the mall complex leaves one large and one smaller space still to be tenanted, building owner Alex Garrett said.
He's called the complex Taylor's Landing, because it was the place from which people were barged across the Whanganui River in the days of Reverend Richard Taylor - before there was a bridge.
The building was first used by a passenger transport company, with buses driving through the gap in the middle. Its most recent incarnation was as the Wanganui Produce Centre.
Mr Garrett refurbished it at a cost of around $1 million. Steel beams were added, for earthquake strengthening, and he said it was now 100 per cent compliant with building regulations.
Current tenants are Webquest, which has an office and apartment on the upper floor, Recaffeinated with a cafe facing Taupo Quay, and now Chic Hairdressing with a large space fronting the Whanganui River.
He was waiting patiently for more tenants, and said the refurbishment was more of an attitude than a business venture.
"It's just a hobby, just to create something for the city."
He wanted the city to connect with the river, and said it would have been cheaper to pull the building down and put up a new one than it was to refurbish it.
"I have wasted this amount of money on a couple of motor cars, so it won't make any difference."
He looked forward to Wanganui District Council's next moves to slow traffic in that stretch of Taupo Quay and turn it into an arts precinct.
"I'm now waiting for the council to complete the thing by giving us angle parking along here."