The new owner, a private Queenstown-based investor with a significant retail portfolio across Australia, intends to build on Cooper’s repositioning work and further enhance the centre’s offering.
Steve James, Director of Retail Development Site Sales and Leasing with Stonebridge Property Group, said “The Colombo Shopping Centre presents a unique opportunity to reposition the asset with a substantial 3,526m² leasing opportunity. “This space has the flexibility to accommodate a major anchor tenant or be strategically split into multiple operators, creating a greater critical mass and variety of retailers. Both pathways provide the chance to enhance the retail mix and further cement The Colombo’s reputation as Christchurch’s leading boutique shopping and lifestyle destination.”
Located 1.5 kilometres south of Christchurch’s CBD, The Colombo Centre has long been recognised as a key retail and hospitality hub. The property offers 7,790 sqm of lettable area, supported by a strong tenant mix including Flex Fitness, Academy Gold Cinemas, Christchurch Library, and a wide range of retail, hospitality, health and beauty operators. This diversity underpins cross-shopping opportunities and ensures broad customer appeal.
The centre also benefits from 251 on-grade car parks (3.2 cars per 100 sqm of lettable area) and a high-profile corner position on Colombo Street, a major arterial connecting the CBD with the city’s affluent hillside suburbs.
– 904 sqm mezzanine with lift and stairwell access
– Dedicated loading bay and customer entrance
– Over 30 metres of internal mall frontage
Mr James expects the Colombo to attract strong attention from national retailers looking to establish a flagship presence in Christchurch. “The Colombo offers the scale, flexibility, exposure and location that tenants of this calibre are seeking,” he said.
Bruce Whillans, Managing Director of Whillans Realty Group, said adaptability will be key to the leasing campaign. “The former Smiths City tenancy can be tailored to suit the needs of a wide range of users, from medical and pharmacy through to hospitality, entertainment, or metro supermarket operators. This flexibility, combined with its location and profile, makes it one of the most attractive opportunities in the Christchurch market,” Mr Whillans said.
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