Interest grows in soon to be completed retail site
The chairman of a shareholding that is funding a new South Canterbury retail development says there has been ‘‘strong interest’’ in its almost completed units.
Hilton Nominees is bankrolling a new 1000 square metre commer- cial development at 209 Hilton Highway on the former Seedlands site at Washdyke, Timaru, opposite the intersections of State Highways 1 and 8.
The shareholding’s chairman, Ken Buckingham, said the project’s anchor tenant, Robert Harris, had opened for business in the second week of December, and had been flourishing.
‘‘Robert Harris is a very good business, a very good anchor tenant, it’s also a very good location for them too.’’
As yet there were no confirmed tenants for the development of the other four units, the majority of which Buckingham was anticipating would be ready to occupy by the end of February.
‘‘Though there has been strong interest,’’ he said.
‘‘We are hoping that once the building is finished and people can see what we have done, I think we’ll be able to fill it [the development] reasonably quickly.’’
He kept mum on the cost of the development, but said it had been a ‘‘significant’’ investment.
He said the site had been chosen partly because of its ease of access and because of the plentiful parking available.
Robert Harris Washdyke franchisee Brendon Soal said the site had worked out perfectly for the cafe, with a good mix of customers coming in during the week and at weekends.
‘‘A lot of people want to come away [from Timaru] on a Saturday or Sunday and have a nice relaxed breakfast, and we have a lot of contractors during the week.
‘‘We are what you would call a destination cafe, to come here you have got to be coming here, there’s no foot traffic.’’
Soal said the feedback from customers was one of the main attractions of the cafe’s location had been the car parking.
‘‘People want somewhere to park, they are sick of going up the main street and only getting 10 minutes.
‘‘We have got heaps of car parking here.’’