Countdown planned for Auckland CBD high-rise

A supermarket will open in the Finance Centre. Photo / Martin Sykes

Supermarket giant Progressive Enterprises is planning a multimillion-dollar Countdown for a high-rise building in Auckland's CBD.

Luke Schepen, Progressive's national communications and public affairs manager, said the store planned for Albert St's Finance Centre would be about 2000sq m, 1000sq m smaller than the 3000sq m Countdown Auckland City, formerly Foodtown, on Quay St.

The high-rise Finance Centre, where Progressive has leased 2100sq m, is between Victoria St West, Durham Street West and Albert St and is owned by Kermadec.

There are no details yet on which street entrance would be used and whether any parking would be offered.

Kermadec is one of the smallest listed landlords on the NZX. Its Finance Centre, once called the Simpson Grierson building, is worth $44.6 million. Wilsons operates a parking operation from the building.

Progressive rebranded Foodtown stores as Countdowns and Schepen said the new Auckland CBD store scheme was now being refined.

"We're just working through the planning. I understand it's still got to go through the resource consent process. There's an opportunity to provide local workers and professionals in the city with convenience and certainly the CBD has a growing residential population as well, which we think would be good for business," he said.

No opening date had been announced. Paul Keane of retail leasing consultants RCG in Parnell said the new Countdown was a response to demand.

"This would be an attempt to pursue city workers and those living in the Auckland CBD," he said.

Auckland City data shows more than 20,000 people live in the CBD and pedestrian count information shows about 70,000 workers are in the CBD Mondays to Fridays.

Auckland University alone has more than 40,000 students, attending its CBD campus on a fulltime and part-time basis. But Keane said Progressive's Quay St Countdown partly serviced the city area already and he wondered about how this store would be affected by the new development.

Kermadec owns commercial and industrial properties with a combined value of $100 million and its Finance Centre has 450 carparks, office and retail space.

Chase Corporation developed the block and the Rugby Hall of Fame and a McDonald's once operated from the retail area.