Westfield Albany
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2013}}
{{infobox shopping mall
| name = Westfield Albany
| image = Westfield Albany As Completed 01.jpg
| image_width = 250
| caption = Looking at the centre from the northwest
| location = Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
| address = 219 Don McKinnon Drive
| opening_date = {{Start date and age| 30 August 2007}}
| owner= Scentre Group (51%)
GIC (49%)
| manager=
| developer= Westfield Group
| number_of_anchors = 4 (including cinemas)
| floor_area = 53, 329 m² (retail)
| parking = ~2373+ spaces
| floors= 2
| website = {{URL|https://www.westfield.co.nz/albany}}
| footnotes =
}}
Westfield Albany is a shopping centre in the Auckland suburb of Albany, New Zealand, opposite the Albany Lakes Civic Park. It is majority owned (51%) by Scentre Group with the remainder owned by the Singapore Government's GIC. Until 2014 it was wholly owned by Scentre Group, which was formerly part of Westfield Group.{{cite news |title=Singapore fund buys into NZ Westfield shopping centres |first1=Niko |last1=Kloten |first2=Catherine |last2=Harris |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/62999847/singapore-fund-buys-into-nz-westfield-shopping-centres |newspaper=Stuff |date=7 November 2014 |accessdate=29 March 2016}}
Once the last sections opened in April 2008, at 7 ha (70,000 m2) of indoor space (4.9 ha retail [49,000 m2] and 2.1 ha [21,000 m2] offices), and costing around NZ$210 million to construct.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10457764 |title=Westfield set to show off NZ's biggest mall |author=Gibson, Anne |date=15 August 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}}
Westfield Albany provides over 2,000 carparks for around 150 specialty stores, as well as a large-format 2 floor 10,000 m2 Farmers, a Kmart and a New World. It also contains an Event Cinemas multiplex cinema and a 560-seat food court which includes major fastfood franchises.[http://westfield.com/corporate/news-announcements/media-releases/2006/2006929_81813.html Westfield Agreements Mark Milestone In Development of Albany Town Centre] (from the Westfield NZ website, 28 September 2006){{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/commercial-property/news/article.cfm?c_id=28&objectid=10432987 |title=Options for Downtown mall wide open |author=Gibson, Anne |date=7 April 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}}
History and development
The centre was Westfield's first totally new mall since entering the New Zealand market in the mid-90s.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/shopping/news/article.cfm?c_id=318&objectid=10459307 |title=Countdown under way for Albany supermall rollout |author=Gibson, Anne |date=23 August 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}} When first mooted in 2003, it was conceived as a much smaller centre, with 20,000 m2 planned initially, and with an expansion of 15,000 m2 proposed for a decade later if population increase in the vicinity justified it.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=3532503 |title=Westfield studies top sites |author=Gibson, Anne |date=5 November 2003 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}} By 2007 when the mall opened, planning of an extension was already under way.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/shopping/news/article.cfm?c_id=318&objectid=10440567 |title=Justin Lynch – Low-flying master of the mall game |author=Gibson, Anne |date=19 May 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}}
At that time, some experts saw demand for about twice the size of the centre in retail and associated office space in the wider Albany area. However, Westfield itself had in the past put in submissions against a District Plan change in the area, contending that it allowed for "excessive retail provision in the Albany area" (in a northern 'mainstreet' area separate from the core where Westfield and a number of other retailers have their sites). The challenge was rejected by the Environment Court.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/albany/news/article.cfm?l_id=380&objectid=10445286 |title=Council wins battle over Albany |author=Gibson, Anne |date=13 June 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}}
The concept of the Albany mall was considered a (somewhat reluctant) new approach by Westfield, which had previously been accused of disregarding the outside effects of its malls, and of maximising commercial opportunities at the cost of the surrounding communities. Spurred by criticism and council plans to develop a 'town centre' instead of simply providing retail areas, Westfield changed its standard greenfields-type plans for the new site, and developed a more open centre with 'main street' elements and some public areas.[http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=4891&SID=656421828 Significant change in Westfield thinking] – The Bob Dey Property Report, Monday 18 July 2005. Retrieved 20 September 2007. The change was considered a significant step away from the inward-looking shopping centres built in New Zealand in the 1990s, and North Shore City Council hoped that the centre would integrate with future growth in Albany rather than be a shopping destination alone.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10473873 |title=Makeover of the shopping mall |author=South, Gill |date=4 November 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}}
Opening
Westfield Albany Stage One opened on 30 August 2007, with 65 shops trading. The rest of the shops opened on 1 November 2007 after a main opening ceremony attended by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Westfield Group Managing Director Steven Lowy,[http://www.westfield.com/corporate/newsroom/announcements/2007/20071101_51982.html Westfield Opens NZ$210 Million Westfield Albany] Westfield Group 2007-11-01. Accessed 2008-03-29.) while the 10-screen cinemas' opening was delayed to April 2008.[http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=9011&SID=904967055 Westfield opens Albany centre] – The Bob Dey Property Report, Thursday 31 August 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2007.
In July 2008, the cinemas of the centre were closed preventively by Skycity cinemas due to weathertightness reasons. Problems with the roof had already caused a single cinema to be shut a month earlier.{{cite news
| title = Engineers called in after leaks shut giant cinema
| url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10520971
| newspaper = The New Zealand Herald
| date = 2008-07-11
| accessdate = 2008-08-12
| first=Anne
| last=Gibson
}} The cinemas were reopened about a week later.{{cite news
| title = $10 tickets on offer after safety all-clear at cinema
| url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10521577
| newspaper = The New Zealand Herald
| date = 2008-07-15
| accessdate = 2008-08-12
| first=Anne
| last=Gibson
}}
In May 2011, the mall was closed for inspection after sustaining damage when a tornado caused widespread damage and one fatality on Auckland's North Shore.{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10723297|accessdate=19 August 2018|title=Checks continue on tornado hit mall|date=4 May 2011|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald}}
Annual sales for the full year 2018 were $422.8 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12220186|accessdate=10 April 2019|title=Four biggest NZ malls a focus for Scentre in $790m property expansion|date=11 April 2019|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald}}
Awards
In 2008, the centre received the highest award of the New Zealand Property Council, with the judges calling the centre being one of "a new generation of its type" and having a good mix of leisure and entertainment with an emphasis on public spaces, which had been "designed to provide a focal point for the whole Albany community and beyond".{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10519424 |title=Westfield Albany takes top award |author=Gibson, Anne |date=2 July 2008 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=3 December 2011}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official|https://www.westfield.co.nz/albany}}
{{coord|-36.728145|174.708871|type:landmark_region:NZ|display=title}}
{{WestfieldNewZealand}}
{{Shopping centres in New Zealand}}
Category:Shopping centres in the Auckland Region
Category:Shopping malls established in 2007