$78m Botany Town Centre expansion unveiled

Plans for the fashion pavilion at Botany.

A $78 million expansion and upgrade is planned for Auckland's Botany Town Centre, increasing its floor area from just over 58,000sq m to 62,700sq m.

Nick Cobham, AMP Capital portfolio manager, said new retailers from here and overseas would open there, the alfresco dining area would be expanded, the food precinct beside New World would be upgraded and Garden Lane would be refurbished.

Plans for the fashion pavilion at Botany.

The mall is at 588 Chapel Rd, East Tamaki. Works are due to start this month and be finished by May next year, AMP said.

Cobham said more speciality retailers would be added and the entertainment precinct would be improved but no further retailer details, names of countries of origin were released.

The Hoyts cinema multiplex will be refurbished and more than 1000 powered recliner seats would be installed, he said.

Botany will have more than 200 retailers once the project is finished.

The centre opened in 2001 and the works will be carried out by AMP Capital Shopping Centre, the specialist retail division with more than A$10 billion in assets under management.

A statement from AMP said the centre would be enlarged to meet growth in the area: "The expansion follows the Auckland Council Unitary Plan's designation of Botany Town Centre as a metropolitan zoned hub. Several Special Housing Areas and future residential growth areas have been identified surrounding the centre and have been fast-tracked for development. The redevelopment will enable it to cater to the needs of the growing population within the community."

Kiwi Property is building big at its Sylvia Park, planning to bring a department store to level one and almost finished a new office block there.

Scentre Group this month released $790m plans for its Westfield Newmarket, bringing David Jones to that site

It also plans to expand Westfield St Lukes and Westfield Albany and further announcements are expected from Scentre on these plans.