An artist's impression of what the Northern Quarter will look like once it is complete. Photo / Supplied
An artist's impression of what the Northern Quarter will look like once it is complete. Photo / Supplied
A $20 million-plus development that will bring more than 100 workers into Tauranga’s CBD is “great news” for the city centre, business leaders say.
The Northern Quarter development on The Strand is being also hailed as another sign that the inner city is becoming a regional business hub and the “place to be” for big businesses.
Stage one of the proposed four-storey Northern Quarter development, which would include a mix of office, commercial, and hospitality space on Harington St and Hamilton St, is planned to be finished by mid-2024.
Large Tauranga law firm Holland Beckett Law is relocating its offices from Cameron Rd and is to occupy about 2000sq m of the top two floors of the Northern Quarter.
Holland Beckett Law partner John Mackay. Photo / Chris Parker
Mainstreet Tauranga chairman Brian Berry said news that Holland Beckett Law would relocate into the CBD was fantastic.
“It is a reflection of the growing recognition that the CBD is again becoming the regional business hub and the place to be for especially strong-brand businesses.
“Along with the 110 Holland Beckett Law staff members, the scale of the Northern Quarter development means that several hundred business personnel will be based there and circulating within the CBD, adding to its vibrancy.”
Berry said the Northern Quarter development was critical to the northern end of the CBD, and complemented developments were already under way at the northern end of The Strand.
“These developments - combined with other large-scale developments including 2 Devonport Road (Craigs Investment Partners), the council’s new Civic Administration Building at 90 Devonport Road, the completion of the Farmers site redevelopment (Thirty Eight Elizabeth) and other smaller-scale developments - show a commitment to the CBD from both the public and private sectors, and will go a long way to realising the vision for the city centre.”
Holland Beckett Law partner John Mackay said the firm decided to move to the CBD in August, 2020.
“We wanted to have a physical presence in the heart of the city and to be part of the revitalisation of the Tauranga CBD.
“We have 110 people currently working in our Tauranga office, and we hope that bringing our people into the CBD will be good news for the business, retail, and hospitality sectors.”
Signing the agreement to lease the top two floors was a “big milestone for us and the overall project”, and the law firm was excited about its move to The Strand, he said.
Practice manager Sharline Fitzgerald said the management team was focused on providing an office that met the needs and expectations of both clients and staff.
“With flexible work options now the norm, we see benefits in making the office a destination that our people want to come to. As the city grows, we are seeing a bigger emphasis on public transport, cycleways and even a ferry service. These services tend to terminate at the CBD, so we are looking forward to being able to increase our participation.”
Holland Beckett Law practice manager Sharline Fitzgerald. Photo / Chris Parker
Northern Quarter developers JWL Investments’ project lead Jason Addison said they were delighted to secure such a reputable tenant for the landmark development.
“The Northern Quarter development will transform the CBD, shaping new office and hospitality workspaces. Securing Holland Beckett Law meets with our vision to contribute to the revitalisation of the city centre through investment, development and quality tenants.”
Addison said its vision for the Northern Quarter development was to create a modern, sustainable building that provided healthier work environments.
The Northern Quarter was one of a number of developments in the city centre that would revitalise the civic, commercial and retail heart of the region, he said.
“The flow-on effect to our retail and hospitality sectors will be a welcome addition.”
Addison said JWL Investments and First Principles Architects & Interiors were targeting a 5 Green Star rating for the project.
“We’re pretty excited about what we are achieving with this development.”
The building would also have bike spaces, end-of-trip facilities, high-quality, flexible workspaces, EV charging and extensive landscaping, he said.
The total cost of the first stage of the 5500sq m development would be more than $20m, he said.
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley said the announcement that Holland Beckett would move into the CBD was “great news for the city centre”.
“It shows that those businesses who left the city centre 20 to 30 years ago are now interested in the city centre again.”
Cowley said he had heard from a range of corporates on Cameron Rd that having their offices nearby quality amenities and eateries helped them to attract and retain a talented workforce.
“Some senior staff also have Fomo (fear of missing out) on the casual encounters with other like-minded corporates that the proximity of the CBD provides. The clustering of corporates that serve similar customers, or are involved in the same industry, makes good business sense.”
Chief executive of Western Bay of Plenty economic development agency Priority One, Nigel Tutt, said it was an excellent reflection of the move from business back into Tauranga’s CBD.
“It’s great to see firms like Hobec and JWL lead this revitalisation, and over the course of the 2020s we would expect to see many more people working, living and studying in the CBD.”
