24 | Retail, hospitality hub The design combines a nod to the traditional brick buildings of the area integrated with buildings incorporating new materials and designs. T from page 22 Cooper Developments DEVELOPMENT Caroline says that design combines a nod to the traditional brick buildings of the area integrated with buildings incorporating new materials and designs. Hospitality design consultant Paul Izzard, who worked on Auckland’s Commercial Bay, has also been part of the team. Armitage Williams is the main contractor. Caroline says that the focus has been on creating a retail and hospitality community, which meets the needs of locals and the region. Rolleston Fields will cater to a wide range of experiences encompassing food and beverage, health and wellness, retail, office and co-working spaces. There will be an entertainment zone - the first in the district. A covered town square is being built by the council and has been designed by Paul Izzard. It will allow for markets, outdoor events and activities in all weather conditions. Rolleston Fields was originally planned to take 10 years but due to growth and retail demand the project timeline has been halved. Stage one is already well underway and comprises four buildings. One has a hospitality focus with Majestic Tea, Burger Fuel and Lone Star as key tenants. It is due to open in October. There is a health and wellness building with Flex Fitness, Motus Health, Embrace Media Spa and O Studio opening March 2023. A larger format retail building with Petstock (Caroline points out that Rolleston has a very high rate of pet ownership) and Bargain Chemist will also open in March 2023. In August 2023 a two-story retail and office building on the newly upgraded Tennyson High Street will open. Caroline says that Rolleston Fields has been built with an eye to the future and will incorporate sustainable features such as a greenwall and solar panels. The Coopers are also looking at the possibility of including a machine that can turn tenants’ waste food into compost that could potentially be given away to the community. Caroline says that Rolleston is New Zealand’s fastest growing town and has a young family demographic. The population of Rolleston is 25,000 and previous projections had indicated the town would hit this mark in 2030. The current projections indicate Rolleston’s population will now swell by 40% to around 35,000 by 2030. She says Rolleston’s importance to the South Island cannot be underestimated. It has an industrial hub, which receives 92% of Canterbury’s exports. The new NZTA state highway has reduced travel time between Christchurch and Rolleston markedly to just 15 - 20 minutes. Caroline says that Rolleston is rapidly developing its own unique character. Council has recently built $22 million Te Are Atea designed by Warren and Mahoney as well as developing new reserve areas including children’s play areas, a skate park, sensory garden and kai garden, which will border Rolleston Fields. Developing runs in the family. Caroline’s grandfather Merv, a builder, completed a number of residential developments around Canterbury University. Lilly undertook her own commercial developments in the central city, mainly offices and a Countdown supermarket in Moorhouse Avenue. Caroline started out working in real estate when she decided to join her mother in forming Cooper Developments. Over the years the Coopers have developed a vast property portfolio including large format and speciality retail, syndication, small-scale historic CBD restorations, hotels and apartment complexes. Caroline says that reception from market to Rolleston Fields has been positive and they are even fielding enquiries out of Australia for large format spaces. Office spaces are still available for lease. Harcourts have committed to going in upstairs in the first office building due for completion mid 2023 and will also have a ground floor presence. Developing for the Coopers is more than just building buildings; it is about the community around it, the businesses involved with it, and the activity and longevity that follow. Caroline says it is a true privilege to deliver Rolleston Fields: “We’re very passionate about the construction and our tenants and we love what we do. We feel lucky and blessed to be working on this project. We’ve got a great building firm, Armitage Williams, which has managed to deliver close to original timeframes, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Rolleston Fields has been really well thought out and will be a beautiful town centre. It will form the heart to their district and we hope it’s something the community will be proud of.” “Rolleston Fields has been really well thought out and will be a beautiful town centre.” Delighted to support Cooper Developments and to provide RMA Planning Services for this exciting project.
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