Tainui Group Holdings (TGH), the investment arm of the Waikato tribe, plans to sell as much as 50 percent of its The Base shopping centre in Te Rapa, northwest Hamilton, using the funds to repay debt and for other investments.
The underlying 30 hectare site, which was taken prior to World War II for use as the Te Rapa Air Force Base and returned to the tribe in 1995, would remain in Tainui ownership, it said.
"Following a three month review we believe that now is the right time to seek an experienced joint venture partner and operator to help us take The Base to the next level of excellence," said TGH acting chief executive Chris Joblin . "We want to ensure that our retail tenants and shoppers continue to have an experience up there with New Zealand's best, and to diversify the investments of Waikato-Tainui."
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In 2009, TGH said it had invested $100 million developing The Base and had committed a further $100 million to develop the shopping mall. It has reportedly been valued at $250 million. The property was run as a joint venture with Warehouse Group from 2002 until 2007, when TGH bought out the retailer's stake in the joint venture company for $37.4 million.
