By ANNE GIBSON
Westfield has unveiled a $12 million refurbishment of its Pakuranga mall.
After working on the centre for five months, Westfield has opened a new 500-seat food hall, new shops and restaurants and speciality outlets.
National manager communications Sue Warren said locals would find it hard to recognise their mall.
But this is just the first part of a much larger programme at what was known as Pakuranga Plaza. Westfield applied to Manukau City Council last year to buy the 2.5ha carpark and three streets around the mall, expanding its land ownership with a view to eventually spending $100 million on the mall.
Westfield wants to buy Pepler St, Aylesbury St and Pennel Pl so it will have enough land to substantially expand and upgrade the mall. The carparks and streets total 3.35ha.
The council notified the application just before Christmas, but a challenge from locals - including Grahame Hamblin, owner of Hamblin's Pharmacy on a standalone strip block alongside the mall, and Pakuranga Community Board member David Collings - resulted in Westfield's purchase being delayed.
While its offer for the land was being sorted out, Westfield decided to go ahead with the $12 million overhaul as stage one in the larger scheme.
$12m mall upgrade part of larger plan
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