Popeyes Chicken, Bargain Chemist and Burger Fuel will be open by Christmas at the prominent State Highway 6 site in Richmond.
Blackcomb Property Group director Henri Yeoman says construction on the former SBL bus site on McGlashen Ave will be completed by September, with the buildings then handed over to tenants for fit-outs.
As well as the three major brands already confirmed, he expects three further tenants to be signed by the time the development is completed, including two food and beverage operators and the remaining large-format retail space.
“It’s a strategic site and we expect it will be fully leased well before completion, given where we are at with these negotiations,” he says.
“Everyone will be operational before Christmas. They’ll definitely want to get that Christmas trade.”
He says the company has previously worked with some of the tenants on other developments, which has helped shape the mix for the site.
Blackcomb Property Group is based in Christchurch and Auckland and this is its first development in the Nelson-Tasman region. He says the company is already looking at another project in the region and expects to be involved in more in the future.
“We are looking - we like the area and we’ve had a good experience up there on this project. It’s our first in the area but I imagine it won’t be our last.”
