A giant multi-storey aquatic park is on the drawing boards at Westgate - and could be open in less than three years.
The development - similar to aquariums located in shopping malls overseas - is being proposed as part of a new entertainment precinct at the original Westgate Shopping Centre. If it goes ahead, the park, including an aquarium, will be built on land currently used as a carpark near the centre's cinemas.
It is part of a multi-million dollar rejuvenation of the centre being planned by owners, the New Zealand Retail Property Group (NZRPG). The family-style park will include swimming pools for leisure and training, children's play areas, an upgraded cinema complex allowing film-goers to check-in and order food using the latest in mobile phone technology, new food outlets and the aquarium.
Although precise plans have yet to be finalised - and are dependent on funding - NZRPG is hopeful the complex will be finished by late 2019.
Sara Johnson, the group's general manager marketing and communications, says the idea for an aquatic park came following extensive research into what people want in a modern shopping centre.
"People don't just want shops," she says. "They are looking for experiences, for safe places where they can take their families to enjoy time together and an aquarium feels right, especially given Auckland's proximity to coastal marine life."
Aquariums are not uncommon at shopping malls overseas. At the Dubai Mall, a 10 million-litre tank reaches to the third floor and is one of the largest in the world. It contains more than 33,000 aquatic animals and is a key reason it is the most visited mall in the world.
They are among many attractions owners worldwide are turning to in order to lure shoppers bored by traditional malls and who, as online buying grows easier, are increasingly spending money on experiences.
In the United States there has been a six per cent increase in the amount of shopping centre space taken up by recreational use in the last four years, according to the CoStar Group, real estate strategists based in Washington DC. Theatrical stage shows, sports events, artificial ski slopes and a sea lion show are some activities being added to the mall mix.
One, the Woodfield Mall in Chicago, offers comedy shows, fine art displays and sports like bowling and table tennis to give shoppers variety. General manager Kurt Webb says: "It rounds out our tenant mix and provides an option for people to do more here than they might have done 10 years go."
The Westgate rejuvenation project is a part of the massive town centre taking shape across the road and is likely to include high-rise apartments with retail space on the lower levels.
Johnson says it will be similar to the 10-storey , 115-apartment complex being built at the group's Milford Centre on the North Shore - described as a prototype for future living in Auckland.
She says the tower is some way off. NZRPG is aiming to first finish Milford by mid-2019, then finalise plans for a similar development at the Highbury Shopping Centre in Birkenhead before starting on the Westgate apartments.
Meanwhile the new 'city' at Westgate is fast taking shape. Nearly 16,000 homes are consented in surrounding townships including Whenuapai, Kumeu and the Red Hills area of Massey.
Johnson says this is expected to increase the local population by up to 43,000 people.
"The growth is happening in two periods - now and between 2028 and 2032," she says.
"In the next five years another 6,000 homes will be built adding 16,000 to the population and by 2032 another 19,600 homes with 52,900 people.
"This means in 15 years over 41,000 new homes will have been built, resulting in over 112,000 more people living on Westgate's doorstep."
These figures exclude development taking place at nearby Hobsonville Point where housing projects mean more than 12,000 people will be living there in the next ten years.
This represents a 254 per cent increase on current resident numbers, making it the fastest growing area in New Zealand, according to the 2016 Infometrics regional hotspots report.
Meanwhile at the town centre, work has started on the construction of a new library and is expected to be open sometime in 2018. A town park is also underway with hopes it will be finished around September or October this year.
Johnson says planning has also begun for the construction of commercial and office space at Westgate. "We are working on the designs and are hopeful major corporations will want to locate here, but we will only build to meet demand."