Mini-dragon building nest in Manukau

Chinatown in Manukau City will contain around 170 trading stalls, as well as space for cultural activities. Photo / Supplied

Forty per cent of the space in a proposed Chinatown for Manukau City has already been taken up by a variety of predominantly Chinese retailers, food operators and other traders within the first month of marketing by Bayleys Manukau.

The new Chinatown complex will operate out of the former 7157sq m Bunnings building on a 2.62ha high profile site at 262 Ti Rakau Drive in East Tamaki.

Redevelopment work on the former giant hardware store is under way following the granting of resource consent and Chinatown is scheduled to open for business in October.

A six-year lease of the building has been negotiated by Geoff Wyatt and Gordon Gibson of Bayleys Manukau, with rights of renewal for a further 18 years.

Wyatt says there has been a strong response from Manukau City's Chinese community to the new Chinatown enterprise which is being spearheaded by two prominent local Chinese businessmen, Jack Ren and Crown Xu. Ren is the principal of the Wanfang Group which has a turnover in excess of $20 million and was established 12 years ago as a specialist souvenir business to cater for the growing Asian market in New Zealand.

Crown Xu owned a residential housing design and build company and has also established seven cafes under the Crown brand. He was involved in the grand opening committee of the Auckland Oriental Markets which were formerly located in Quay St in the CBD before that area underwent redevelopment.

Xu says since the closure of the Oriental markets there has been a gap in the market for a large gathering and trading area for the region's growing Asian population. That growth has been particularly strong in Manukau City which makes it the logical location for a Chinatown, says Xu. The city is now home to New Zealand's largest Asian community, with 27 per cent of the residents in the Manukau catchment area of Asian descent.

Xu says the Manukau Chinatown is being modelled on other successful Chinatowns around the world and will not only provide for commercial and leisure activities but will also become a focal point for community and cultural activities. He says the complex will be open seven days a week and will also have a vibrant night market, where music and performance will play a central role and which will provide a safe environment for families and young people to dine and be entertained.

"Our Chinatown will be an important meeting place and a place for events that are easily and economically accessible to the communities it serves," says Xu. "We are looking at a Chinese-styled stage that will provide a backdrop for a range of activities such as karaoke, story-telling, cooking demonstrations, dance and kung fu."

Xu says the complex is attracting interest from a wide variety of occupants including dry foods, medicines, fortune telling, calligraphy, massage therapy and a range of arts and crafts businesses, as well as takeaway, cafe and restaurant operators.

He says Chinatowns are traditionally good incubators for small businesses which would struggle to afford traditional retail space. "The Chinatown Manukau market is offering flexible short-term leases at affordable rates in a controlled and supportive environment that will greatly enhance the ability of small businesses to grow. The ability to trade seasonally or periodically will also assist the introduction of new products, services and concepts." The majority of stalls will be 12sq m to 20sq m, the size of a typical weekend market stall. There are likely to be around 170 stalls in total.

Xu says the Chinatown complex will provide an alternative shopping environment that is not available anywhere else in the region and prices will be open to bartering as is common practice in these types of markets internationally.

A study by Property Economics anticipates that 40 per cent of visitors to Chinatown will come from outside the primary catchment area to shop, attend events and experience the cultural vibrancy of the destination.

"The creation of Chinatown in Manukau will bring together all ethnic groups and help foster cross-cultural interaction and understanding," says Xu. "It will also attract international visitors, particularly those from Southeast Asia, and will generate valuable foreign exchange."

Wyatt says the building has been occupied by casual tenancies since Bunnings vacated three years ago.

"The current owner has been keen to see the property developed in its entirety rather than on a piecemeal basis and is committed to working with the Chinatown team to transform this into one of the region's landmark destinations which showcases the new China to the public."

Bayleys Manukau also has the property for sale.