The Hub Hornby on expansive roll
Monday, 2 October 2017
The flight of Christchurch people to the south west after the 2011 earthquakes proved a boon for The Hub Hornby shopping centre which benefited from an explosion in nearby subdivisions – about 25 of them.
This equates to more than 7500 households.
When the centre was established in 1976, the suburb was generally described as 'blue collar'.
It was the third major shopping complex in Christchurch and the first fully enclosed and air-conditioned mall in the South Island.
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Since then, The Hub has seen many expansions and redevelopments, the most recent a $75 million revamp completed earlier this year.
About 130,000 customers visit the centre each week, according to national retail director Evan Harris of Colliers International which manages The Hub.
The regional shopping centre is anchored by Pak'nSave and a 6000 sqm Farmers store.
There are more than 60 specialty stores and 750 carparks.
It hasn't suited every retailer - Glassons recently closed an underperforming shop there.
But Harris said The Hub had seen an increase in foot count and dollar spend.
In the four months from May to August, foot traffic was 40 per cent higher than the previous corresponding period in 2016, jumping to 568,000.
Richard Thomson, co-owner of national giftware retailer Acquisitions, said he took time to be convinced The Hub Hornby was a good move for his chain of 19 stores.
'We vacillated for a long time. We were unsure it was our customer base or whether the volume was going to be there.
'It's exceeded our expectations and we are trading significantly ahead of budget.
Harris said Hornby was a growing shopping destination, with the factory outlet DressSmart, a new bulk shopping complex including Harvey Norman, and the development of surplus land by Hornby Working Men's Club into a 4000 sqm shopping centre together with anchor tenants Briscoes and The Warehouse.
Jason Marsden has been managing the now Hub Hornby for 17 years, since it was bought by a group of private Christchurch investors through Shopping Centre Investments.
Recent new tenants include Max Fashions, Jeanswest and K&K Clothing with the few remaining retail spaces expected to be leased in the next few months.
The Hub and surrounding subdivisions have helped propel the population of Selwyn District to the south of Christchurch from 39,600 in 2010 to 56,500.
There has also been strong growth in local businesses including nearby business parks such as Izone, IPort and Waterloo Business Park.
The developers of Waterloo Business Park have welcomed the opening of the new Pound Rd extension at Hornby.
The NZTA project has seen the realignment and extension of Pound Rd, realignment of Waterloo Road, installation of new traffic signals, closure of Barters Rd railway crossing and creation of new cycling and walking links.
Hamish Clarke, development manager of Waterloo, said the upgraded road network will benefit businesses and described it as a game changer for the area.
It would allow a more convenient alternative route for traffic and heavy transport operators to bypass the city on their journeys north and south, reducing congestion.
The next phase of the project will see a new link realigning Halswell Junction Road traffic from Foremans Road over a new railway crossing into Waterloo Business Park and Pound Rd.
Waterloo covers 114 hectares on the former Islington Freezing Works bordered by Pound and Waterloo Roads. About 80 per cent of titled lots have been sold.