RCP project manager Kelvin Eden inside the new Farmers retail store. Photo / Alan Gibson
Business leaders say the long-anticipated, newly-revamped Farmers, Whitcoulls and Pascoes retail stores, which officially open on Thursday, will ''breathe new life into the CBD''.
The iconic shops are part of a $200 million redevelopment on the corner of Elizabeth St and Devonport Rd, which began construction in 2018.
The opening of about 7000sq m of retail space at Thirty Eight Elizabeth was being heralded as a massive ''milestone'' and part of a long-term revitalisation plan.
Today the Bay of Plenty Times got an exclusive first look at the project, which was one of the first cabs off the block in an estimated $1 billion makeover for the city centre in the next decade.
Thirty Eight Elizabeth project manager Brett Nicholls said the project was expected to almost double the residential population in the CBD once it's fully complete.
"The Farmers corner has a long history of retail stretching back to its roots as the Devon Mall in the early 1970s," he said.
"It is a homecoming for Farmers, which has strong historic ties to the site. We are glad to be home."
The entrance on the corner of Elizabeth St and Devonport Rd will be the "grand gateway" to a new retail experience, he said, "one that Tauranga has been waiting for to bring revitalisation to the CBD".
"The entire development provides a grand gateway to the CBD, one that celebrates the history and significance of the site" for the city centre, he said.
The opening of the retail stores marked a "very exciting milestone" for the project, Nicholls said.
A morning karakia and ribbon-cutting ceremony was planned to mark the official opening on Thursday next week.
Subway would also reopen on Elizabeth St close to the laneway that leads to First
Ave.
The project's grand reopening of the remaining retail stores, food and beverage - including Picnicka and Philia - plus 97 high-end apartments and 23 townhouses was expected to take place in the coming months.
The grand opening would include artwork and cultural mural created by local Ngāi
Tamarāwaho artist Whare Thompson.
The 23 luxury townhouses and 97 high-end apartments would be available to buy in the first quarter of this year.
"We are not far behind schedule considering the number of Covid setbacks our amazing team has had to overcome," Nicholls said.
Tauranga Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said the retail opening at Thirty Eight Elizabeth was an important milestone in the revitalisation of Tauranga's city centre that would see more people living in the CBD.
"The retail offerings of this visionary development will attract people to the area and breathe new life into the CBD."
Tolley said the project - alongside, public and private sector developments planned for the CBD in the next decade and beyond - would see at least $1 billion invested in the area, "bringing to life our city centre as the region's commercial and cultural hub".
That included the building of a new library and community hub facility and a leased council administration building at 90 Devonport Rd.
Chief executive of Western Bay of Plenty economic development agency Priority One, Nigel Tutt, said Thirty Eight Elizabeth would be a "massive boost for a city centre that is on the up".
"The retail developments and hospitality offering will add foot traffic to the wider area and the city will also gain from the high-quality residential apartments that will be completed in the coming months.
"Thirty Eight Elizabeth is one of the lead developments in the wider rejuvenation of Tauranga's CBD, with over $1.5b in developments either confirmed or underway."
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said the development was the focal point of the CBD's retail precinct.
"It is an incredible development that people from around the region will enjoy experiencing.
"It is part of the building blocks that will attract more demand for inner-city apartments. The value of this private-sector investment shows there is confidence in Tauranga's city centre."
Number One Shoes manager Pam Jump said she hoped the opening of the new retail stores will bring the CBD "back to how it used to be".
"I remember what it was like as a teenager, and then a mum – this is where I used to bring my kids … it was more family-friendly. A lot of people now tend to go to the malls."
Jump said they used to get lots of customers coming in from Farmers "with their outfits to buy shoes" and she hoped that would continue when the store reopened next week.
First Dessert owner Adele De'Arth said she was "ecstatic" Farmers would finally be open.
"I know it will bring a lot of foot traffic into the CBD, which will hugely benefit the surrounding businesses."
Kaumātua Buddy Mikaere said Ngāi Tamarāwaho, the Ngāti Ranginui iwi hapū, hold the mana whenua for the site, "which is at the heart of its rohe".
"Ngāi Tamarāwaho has supported this project from the outset and considers that the
redevelopment fits with its aspirations for the city centre.
"Ngāi Tamarāwaho is pleased to see the site being put to useful purpose."
Additional reporting - Talia Parker
Graeme Walker's first job was at Farmers. Now, more than 50 years later, he is the manager of Tauranga CBD's newly-revamped retail store.
Walker was age 17 when he started working in the menswear section at Farmers on the corner of Elizabeth St and Devonport Rd in 1971.
The 68-year-old said returning to the same site was a nice way to "finish" his career.
"Although it's very different of course, It doesn't resemble the old store at all. It feels like coming into a brand new store."
Back then Farmers sold paint, builders' hardware and even spa pools, but Walker said "it's very different now".
"It's evolution."
Walker said he was "very excited" to open the store next week.
"It's really brought us into the new millenium.
"It's going to be great for the city centre. It really is the first stage to launch some life into the CBD, which we really need.
"It really is just timely. The city is growing, moving forward and changing.
"It is going to be something that I hope will set a new benchmark for the CBD going forward. I would just love to see the CBD follow in the footsteps of Farmers."
• $200-plus million development
• Picnicka, Philia and Subway
• Two levels of retail including Farmers, Whitcoulls and Pascoes
• 8000 square metres retail
• 320 car parks on 5 levels
• 97 high-end apartments
• 23 townhouses
• Other retailers to join doors to
Police have said he was evading arrest, but a family member disputed that.