Westfield Albany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Westfield Albany | |
 |
|
| Facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Albany, New Zealand |
| Opening date | 2007 |
| Developer | Westfield Group |
| Owner | Westfield Group |
| No. of stores and services | ~ 150[1] |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (including cinemas) |
| Total retail floor area | 49,000 sqm (retail) / 21,000 sqm (office) |
| Parking | ~2000+ spaces |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Website | westfield.com/albany |
Westfield Albany is a new shopping centre of the Westfield Group in Albany, New Zealand. Once the last sections opened in April 2008, at 7 ha (70,000 m²) of indoor space (4.9 ha retail [49,000 m²] and 2.1 ha [21,000 m²] offices), it became the largest shopping centre in New Zealand, eclipsing even recently opened Sylvia Park, and costing around NZ$ 210 million to construct.[1]
It provides over 2,000 carparks for around 150 specialty stores, as well as a large-format 2 floor 10,000 m² Farmers, a Kmart and a New World major, and also contains a SkyCity multiplex cinema and a 560 seat food court which includes major fastfood franchises.[1][2][3]
The centre has been estimated to have provided over 1,000 jobs during construction, and over 1,500 once in operation.[2]
[edit] History and Development
The centre is Westfield's first totally new mall since entering the New Zealand market in the mid-90s.[4] When first mooted in 2003, it was conceived as a much smaller centre, with only 20,000 sqm planned for initially, and a comparatively small later expansion of 15,000 sqm mooted for a decade later.[5] Westfield is already planning a large further expansion of the centre.[6] Some experts see demand for about twice the size of the current centre in retail and associated office space in the wider Albany area.[1] However, Westfield itself has in the past put in submissions against a District Plan plan change in the area, contending that it allowed for "excessive retail provision in the Albany area" (in a northern 'mainstreet' area separate from the core where Westfield and a number of other retailers have their sites). The challenge was rejected by the Environment Court.[7]
The concept of the Albany mall is considered a (somewhat reluctant) new approach by Westfield, which has previously been accused of disregarding the outside effects of its malls, and of maximising commercial opportunities at the cost of the surrounding communities. Spurred by criticism as well as Council plans to develop a 'town centre' instead of simply providing retail areas, Westfield changed its standard greenfields-type plans for the new site, and developed a more open centre with 'main street' elements and some public areas.[8]
Westfield Albany Stage I opened 30 August 2007, with 65 shops trading. The rest of the shops opened on 01 November 2007 after a main opening ceremony attended by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Westfield Group Managing Director Steven Lowy,[9] while the 10-screen cinemas' opening was delayed to April 2008.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Westfield set to show off NZ's biggest mall - The New Zealand Herald, Wednesday 15 August 2007
- ^ a b Westfield Agreements Mark Milestone In Development of Albany Town Centre (from the Westfield NZ website, 28 September 2006)
- ^ Options for Downtown mall wide open - The New Zealand Herald, Saturday 07 April 2007
- ^ Countdown under way for Albany supermall rollout - The New Zealand Herald, Thursday 23 August 2007
- ^ Westfield studies top sites - The New Zealand Herald, Wednesday 05 November 2003
- ^ Justin Lynch - Low-flying master of the mall game - New Zealand Herald, Saturday 19 May 2007
- ^ Council wins battle over Albany - The New Zealand Herald, Wednesday 13 June 2007
- ^ Significant change in Westfield thinking - The Bob Dey Property Report, Monday 18 July 2005. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
- ^ Westfield Opens NZ$210 Million Westfield Albany (from a Westfield Group press release, 2007-11-01. Accessed 2008-03-29.)
- ^ Westfield opens Albany centre - The Bob Dey Property Report, Thursday 31 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
[edit] External links
- Westfield Albany (official shopping centre website)
- Design & Masterplan (Albany City Holdings Ltd. - includes 3D image with Westfield Albany at the centre of rendering)
- Westfield Albany is at coordinates Coordinates:
|
||||||||
