| 31 T T Karen Phelps Kokomea retail hub Situated within the Kokomea Park residential subdivision, Kokomea Village Centre is poised to become Taupo’s latest commercial hub. Taupo: Watts & Hughes Construction : Kokomea Village Countdown REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Watts & Hughes Construction has recently completed a significant retail development project at Kokomea Village in Taupo. Following its successful completion of the new supermarket in 2022, the construction company is working on the contract for the new retail block of shops. The project, spanning an impressive 1500m², consists of eleven retail units, and Alan Benjamin, the project manager for Watts & Hughes Construction, says it is architectural in nature to seamlessly integrate with the overall theme of Kokomea Village. “The main challenge was integrating these diverse exterior elements cohesively, ensuring a harmonious visual appeal,” says Alan. Watts & Hughes Construction successfully secured the tender for this project at Kokomea Village leveraging its extensive experience in constructing retail centres across New Zealand. “Our previous projects equipped us with valuable insights, allowing us to provide value engineering that ultimately reduced the build cost for the client.” Noteworthy was the fact that Watts & Hughes Construction negotiated to build and handover three tenanted units in the same timeline - BFT gym, Lakecrest offices and a Liquorland store - all of which were built and handed over within the agreed timeline, meeting the client’s expectations. Situated within the Kokomea Park residential subdivision, Kokomea Village Centre is poised to become Taupo’s latest commercial hub. Encompassing an expansive 18,500m², the village centre will offer a diverse mix of restaurants, cafes, retail outlets, and health and well-being stores. Watts & Hughes Construction, responsible for Zone C and D construction as well as the car park, is nearing completion of the retail shops in Zone B. Alan says the collaboration and sense of teamwork with subcontractors and suppliers has been a key factor in the project’s success. “We have a really good mix who are part of the team, and communication and coordination is relatively smooth. Watts & Hughes prioritise tidy and organised sites, which also assists this process.” The project came on the back of Watts & Hughes’ successful completion of the new Countdown supermarket in Kokomea Village. The new 3675m2 store includes an extensive fresh food section, bakery, health foods section, cellar, dedicated online pick-up area and Countdown’s latest design features. Once again the project has features to tie it into the overall village such as exterior feature walls and walkways. Beyond Kokomea Village, Watts & Hughes Construction remains actively engaged in the Taupo region, with several projects underway. It has recently commenced a three-story build in Taupo Town Centre for Tuwhareetoa, featuring the Taupo City Council as the anchor tenant. Additionally, the company is set to complete a new Woolworths Supermarket at the corner of Spa Road and Tongariro Road in the coming years. Watts & Hughes Construction, with offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch provides services across various sectors including civil, industrial, recreational, retail, commercial, institutional, residential, educational, marinas, government infrastructure, medical/health care and sub-divisions. Its comprehensive offerings include design and build, refurbishment, executive and financial management, project management, site contract management, pricing and estimating, subcontract and material evaluation. Alan says that Watts & Hughes Construction’s completion of the Kokomea Village retail block underscores the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality projects that enhance the local community. • EARTHWORKS • DEMOLITION • LANDSCAPING • HEAVY MACHINERY Comprehensive Earth Moving Solutions in Taupo and the Bay of Plenty. PHONE: 0800 70 30 78 WEB: www.ggltd.co.nz LTD We Are Your Drainage Specialists. We can do anything with water. From residential to commercial, stormwater to wastewater and everything in between, we are your go-to for drainage services in the Central North Island. Drainage • Wastewater • Stormwater Sam: 021 904 037 sam@nolandrainage.co.nz Jason: 027 572 2337 jason@nolandrainage.co.nz 45A Manuka Street, Tauhara, Taupo 3378 www.nolandrainage.co.nz Murtagh Crane Hire: Serving the Taupo district for over 27 years Proudly supporting Watts & Hughes Construction wayne@murtaghcranehire.co.nz 021 941 161
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