Business South June 2021

14 | Invercargill Central REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Bringing vibrancy and life to city centre Visitors to Invercargill Central will be able to enjoy a variety of quality retail and hospitality offerings. “It’s quite a different project from what you would get in a normal construction project because we are interacting closely with the people of Invercargill.” I nvercargill Central, the driver behind the redevelopment of Invercargill’s core retail precinct, aims to bring new life into the heart of the city - with visitors able to enjoy a variety of quality retail and hospitality offer- ings, as well as creating many positive flow-on economic effects. Invercargill Central project director, Geoff Cotton, says the vision for the massive project has required considerable tenacity. He acknowledges the contribution of busi- ness people Scott and Jocelyn O’Donnell and Geoff Thompson in getting it off the ground. “They drove it through so many hurdles to be able to get it to the stage where we’re at now and they were using their own time and money to do all of that.” “They got through a lot of problems, not least of which is raising finance to pay for it. They spent a considerable time during of 2018/2019 getting this to where it is today.” Geoff also acknowledged the vision of Southland Regional Development Strategy, a region-wide initiative focused on building a thriving and prosperous future for Southland. In creating a master plan, architects Buchan Group gave careful consideration to design a contemporary, functional centre that pro- vides an engaging customer experience while remaining in scale with the existing buildings it is surrounded by. Although most of the Esk, Kelvin, Tay and Dee Street block has been demolished, the heritage of each of the buildings was carefully considered. Invercargill Central undertook ex- tensive assessment which identified the her- itage buildings that were not safe and which were well below the seismic requirement of National Building Standard (NBS). In most cases it was not viable to strengthen buildings that were not suitable or compatible with Invercargill Central’s plans, especially compared to a safe, purpose-built, new build- ing that will provide a better experience for tenants and the public. However, the Heritage New Zealand cat- egory 1 New South Wales Bank building on the south west corner of the block will not be demolished, neither will the facades of three buildings in Esk Street, the former Southland Times building, plus the Coxhead building in Esk Street, and the Esk Street entrance of Cambridge Arcade will be retained. Invercargill Central has established an infor- mation hub where individuals and groups can learn in detail about the redevelopment as well as about the heritage of the inner city. “ It’s quite a different project from what you would get in a normal construction project because we are interacting closely with the people of Invercargill.” The budgeted $165m project cost is expect- ed to include a labour spend of $80m, with the estimated creation of 300-400 new jobs during the various stages of development . • Invercargill Central will have a variety of spaces available for lease. To be part of this exciting opportunity, please contact Evan Harris at Colliers International to find out more. Phone: 0274 325 153 or email evan.harris@colliers.com ConcreteMasonry | Tiling&Waterproofing | Clay Brick Veneer | Architectural Plaster Systems With professional tradespeople servicing Southland, Central and West Otago, we are your one point of call for residential, commercial or industrial projects. Industrial • Commercial • Residential “Quality Solutions delivered on Time” 03 365 8855 christchurch@holmesfire.com holmesfire.com Holmes Fire is proud of our contribution to the revitalisation of Invercargill. Our team of experienced engineers are providing Fire Engineering, Fire Protection and Passive Fire services to the dynamic Invercargill Central development and other local projects in the Invercargill area. CONTACT HOLMES F IRE TO DI SCUSS HOW WE CAN PROVIDE VALUE IN YOUR NEXT PROJECT. Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. DO OUR READERS KNOW YOU EXIST?