Kowhai Falls stage two underway

Dobbyn Builders is expected to be start construction on stage two of the Kowhai Falls Shopping Centre this week, with seven retail stores set to open before Christmas.

The new building, known as Building B, will cover 5000sqm along the eastern side of the 4.2 hectare site.

It will be built in a similar style to The Warehouse, as a low energy building with the same NZ timber structure and Metalcraft insulated panels.

While the store leases are still being finalised, it’s understood the centre will predominantly include a mix of national tenants.

When Building B is finished, work will start on a third building – between Building B and Mitre 10 – which will include a café and restaurant complex. This is likely to be delivered later next year.

Developer Glen Inger told Mahurangi Matters last year that he was keen to see a rustic open-plan restaurant, perhaps in conjunction with a local brewery. The idea was to have a shared kitchen between the café and restaurant, so meals could be served across the day from breakfast to dinner.

The building would also accommodate public toilets and some smaller 100 to 200 sqm tenancies for businesses such as florists, hairdressers and opticians.

The final build would be Building D, by the roundabout, which was earmarked for a 2500sqm Crackerjack store.

The builders are currently looking at including underground parking for possibly 60 vehicles as part of Building D to cater mainly for staff from the surrounding businesses.