"It provided a desperately needed space for folk to come together and enjoy themselves," she says.
Under her expert direction, The Colombo was a post-quake success.
It now comprises an eclectic mix of 44 tenancies — retailers, bars and hospitality outlets, together with an art house cinema — ranging in size from 8sq m to 3031sq m.
But there is still potential for further development and improvement, says Colliers International's Courtney Doig, who is marketing the property with Hamish Doig.
The Colombo is for sale by deadline private treaty, closing at 4pm on March 14, unless sold earlier.
"The Colombo is anchored by a Spotlight store, which is shift to a larger site when its lease expires at the end of 2021," says Courtney Doig.
"This provides excellent scope for a new buyer to add significant value and develop a third stage to the shopping centre.
"We think it will appeal to both domestic and offshore buyers, folk looking for a substantial retail asset to add to their portfolio.
" It is a real destination in Canterbury and occupies a special niche in the market."
Cooper considers the time is right to sell.
"I'm thrilled with the way The Colombo has worked out: it is truly everything I envisaged. But due to ill health recently I've decided it is time to sell and let someone else take it to the next level."
She upgraded and transformed The Colombo in 2011-2012, repositioning it at the top end of the market.
Spurred by its success, the surrounding Sydenham area underwent a resurgence of its own, with the addition of new housing and gentrification of older areas, which alongside tightly-held light industrial sites.
The Colombo comprises five titles, totalling a land area of 17,567sq m. The total gross floor area of the expanded centre is 7933sq m.
It has a 75m frontage on to busy Colombo St; 180m on Elgin St, 122m on Stanley St and 25m fronting on to Durham St South.
This gives three vehicle accesses and four pedestrian entranceways.
