Spotlight spends $10m on new store in Paraparaumu

Thursday, 6 April 2017

Places to buy craft supplies in Paraparaumu are limited.

Kapiti Coast crafters will be able to buy their supplies at a new Spotlight opening in Paraparaumu later this year.

The Australian retailer will spend up to $10 million building the store on Ihakara Street.

Spotlight bought a former car dealership showroom and its neighbouring car park with a combined rateable value of $2.2m for its new store development.

Spotlight has stores throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia and employs more than 6700 workers.

* Property projects take root in the Capital**

A resource consent was issued for the store in October last year.

The plans to renovate or demolish the former car dealership showroom would hinge on whether it can be brought to 100 per cent of new building standard.

Construction company RDL group said both structures would be 100 per cent of the new building standard and will make a decision in the next few weeks to demolish or not.

The new buildings will accommodate a Spotlight store and new other tenancies that are yet to be leased.

Spotlight co-owner Zac Fried said the employment opportunities would be an exciting benefit for the region. He expects the store to create 20 new jobs.

Paraparaumu Spotlight fan Sara Speight said since the closure of the Bernina shop, the only place in town to get craft supplies was the Lotto shop, which had only a small range of supplies.

'I will definitely shop there … probably too much,' Speight said.

Fiona Jenkins said she looked forward to no longer driving to Porirua to visit the chain and hoped the new shop would have sufficient parking which she said was a problem at Coastlands Shopping centre.

Kapiti District Council group manager of infrastructure services, Sean Mallon, said the addition of Spotlight to Paraparaumu's retail scene contributed to the council's plan to make Paraparaumu 'the vibrant heart of the district' and develop nearby Rimu Road as the town's main street.

'New investment and enhanced retail activity in the Paraparaumu town centre, this includes Ihakara Street, will encourage more people into the area and will help create a setting that supports new and existing businesses to thrive,' Malton said.

The council would improve the connection from Ihakara St to Kapiti Rd through its long term plan.

Kapiti District councillor Fiona Vining said more businesses in Kapiti would mean lower rates.

'We have a very small commercial ratings base and residential rate payers do have a bigger burden, so if we can get more businesses to come up it can help lower rates for everybody.'

The property is being built by commercial and industrial construction company RDL Group.

Demolition began on the Spotlight site in October of last year, and RDL Group has installed large concrete panels to form the external walls and steel framing work was underway.

Director Benji Sneddon said the new building was being seismically strengthened and protected against a one in 100-year flood.

A 'gravel raft' would raise the building to protect against flooding and earthquakes, Sneddon said.