22 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Invercargill Central CBD boost has wider impact Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt, cuts the ribbon at the opening of the first stage of Invercargill Central in July. The smart approach to environmental management Call our experienced team of environmental scientists (03) 409 8664 | www.e3scien�fic.co.nz Locally owned and operated environmental science consultancy serving Otago & Southland since 2007 - CONTAMINATED LAND - MARINE, FRESHWATER AND TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT - LANDSCAPE RESTORATION - WATER RESOURCES & WATER QUALITY INVESTIGATION Invercargill Central is not only bringing new life to Invercargill’s CBD, its also provided many positive flow-on economic effects, says Scott O’Donnell, chairman of the board of Invercargill Central Limited. The project has included a labour spend of $80 million and 400-500 new jobs are projected to be required during the development phase. Once completed, the centre is expected to bring more visitors to the region and give them a reason to stay longer, as well as increasing local spend. “Before, people didn’t tend to come into Invercargill for tourism purposes. It’s been a rural support town for the wider region. If they did come for tourism they were going to Stewart Island or the Caitlins,” says Scott. He says the opening of Bill Richardson Transport World – the largest private automotive museum of its type in the world boasting more than 300 classic vehicles – in 2015, followed by Classic Motorcycle Mecca and Dig This Invercargill, gave people a reason to stay more than one night in Invercargill Another important project has been the St John’s Church conversion to a new Creative Arts Centre for SIT (Southern Institute of Technology) that opened early 2022. The church was seismically strengthened and an adjacent integrated three-storey building constructed. “Now we’ve got the snowball happening and Invercargill Central will continue the trajectory of positive change. It has already attracted people to spend more time here. This puts the city on the path to a more sound economic position,” thinks Scott. There have been other spin-off benefits. He says Invercargill Central has given a boost to the housing market for those that have had to relocate to work on the project over the past two and a half years. And the city has convinced some big city slickers to relocate, including two senior HW Richardson group staff from Sydney and people moving from Auckland. “The attraction was a good high level job, low cost of housing and outdoor opportunities at their fingertips. “It’s a much easier lifestyle and better quality of life than living in a big city. Karen Phelps “The commute in Invercargill might be five minutes and in rush hour six minutes. The city is a goldmine for a diverse range of activities, business and culture. We want to bring that to the forefront and celebrate what Invercargill has to offer.” Scott says that the challenge now that Invercargill Central is nearing completion is to maintain the momentum. He says the new museum will be the next key project for the region along with a project by developer Geoff Thomson, one of the investors in Invercargill Central, which will see a major renovation of the Menzies Building turning it into a 150-bed hotel. He predicts that once Invercargill Central is complete, increased foot traffic in the CBD will mean greater demand for buildings in the surrounding blocks, which should result in investment being made to renovate and preserve other “There is a lot of construction work planned after the Invercargill Central project is finished. Watch this space.” Stage two on track - page 24 heritage buildings in the city centre. “There is a lot of construction work planned after the Invercargill Central project is finished. Watch this space.”
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