Full mall good news for Rotorua city

BUSY: More businesses are trying to get in to Rotorua Central before it reaches capacity. Photo/Ben Fraser

A Kmart store in Rotorua is looking less likely in the near future as Rotorua Central comes close to reaching capacity.

The complex may soon be reaching the point of having to turn retailers away, something being labelled as good news for the whole inner city.

Smiths City has announced it will move from the Te Ngae Shopping Centre into the old Mitre 10 building, while there will be another empty store in Tutanekai St with Life Pharmacy relocating. Tank Juice Bar is establishing a store in Rotorua Central and is currently advertising for five staff members.

Rumours around Kmart opening a shop in Rotorua were confirmed earlier this year when the retailer told the Rotorua Daily Post it was interested in moving to Rotorua Central and was in negotiations with centre managers. But a Kmart spokeswoman has now told the Rotorua Daily Post while it was always looking for new locations, it did not have a particular site determined in the Rotorua area.

She'd previously said any construction of a store would take about 12 months.

Meanwhile, Pukeroa Oruawhata client manager Peter Faulkner of Deloitte said Rotorua Central being almost full was good news for the complex, but it was also good for the wider Rotorua city.

He said while some people said there was no demand for retail space, Rotorua Central continued to get inquiries.

"People are looking at Rotorua and establishing branches in the city."

Mr Faulkner said just the other day Deloitte had someone looking for space but they didn't have a big enough spot.

He said he was optimistic it would have a flow-on demand to the inner city.

"It's positive for the city as well."

RCG (Retail Consulting Group) executive chairman Paul Keane, who has been working on Rotorua Central, said the addition of Smiths City, Tank Juice Bar and Life Pharmacy meant almost all the space available was taken.

"It's wonderful."

Mr Keane said it showed Rotorua Central was indicative of what the market wanted and that it had been pitched correctly to potential tenants.

He said the addition of Smiths City really secured it as a one-stop shop for furniture and electrical goods.

"If you can't get what you want in one you will certainly be able to get it at the other."

The company has almost completed the enclosed mall and by the end of May the centre would be fully occupied.

Inner City Focus Group founder Mike Steiner said while there was no doubt Rotorua Central had an impact on the inner city, he was pleased to hear it had come to fruition.

He said there was a lot of positivity among businesses and some of the projects like the redevelopment of the Pukuatua and Tutanekai Sts intersection were being met with praise.

The group was working with businesses to attract them into the central city.

He said that while he didn't think anyone expected the group to fill all the empty shops, even filling 20 per cent of them would make a difference.

Plans were under way to launch some projects in the next few weeks to make this year's Christmas season the brightest and most vibrant one yet.

"We can focus on healing and rebuilding what we have in the inner city," Mr Steiner said.