In December 2015 the biggest commercial consent valued at $9.4 million was granted for work at the Papamoa Plaza followed by the Greerton Library building fit-out stage 2 valued at $2 million.
Papamoa Plaza centre manager David Hill said it had an outstanding 2015 and "it gave us the confidence to pull the 2016 and 2017 works all into 2016".
"So the owners decided to push ahead and do it," Mr Hill said.
"The high number of residential consents also forms part of the picture of why we are doing what we are doing here because Papamoa is a fast growth area."
By October or November there would be 20 new shops including a foodcourt, he said.