22 | Cooper Developments Pair making their mark on Rolleston T Karen Phelps The new Rolleston Town Centre, Rolleston Fields, is taking shape after 18 months of planning. DEVELOPMENT T to page 24 In a largely male dominated industry, mother and daughter developers Lilly Cooper and Caroline Cooper-Dixon have made their mark on Christchurch. Now they are tackling their biggest project yet – the new Rolleston Town Centre called Rolleston Fields. The pair was shoulder tapped by Selwyn District Council, which was impressed with The Colombo development the Coopers had delivered. The large-scale retail development in Christchurch saw the worn out buildings purchased just before the Christchurch earthquakes hit. Sydenham was one of the undamaged areas of the central city and saw retailers flocking to secure premises. Caroline says they wanted to make The Colombo a place for the community to gather, recognising the huge need for such a space after the earthquakes. Anchor tenants, existing and new businesses created the right mix and The Colombo was developed and renovated around them. The project prepared them well to undertake Rolleston Fields and the pair spent 18 months master planning the development in conjunction with the council’s property team. Caroline says it’s been a very collaborative process and the result will be a contemporary and dynamic commercial development of over 12,000m2 of space spanning nine buildings. Design has been completed by a variety of architects, including Ikon Architects and Thom Craig Architects, to give a diverse feel.
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