Westfield Newmarket

Westfield Newmarket is a large shopping centre in Newmarket, a central suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The centre occupies sites on Broadway at 277 Broadway and, following its redevelopment, 309 Broadway. It is operated and owned by Scentre Group within the Westfield shopping-centre portfolio. The complex combines general retail, grocery shopping, food and beverage, services, entertainment and structured parking, serving both the surrounding Auckland suburbs and customers drawn to Newmarket as a major metropolitan retail precinct. The original centre opened during the 1980s and became an established part of Newmarket's retail landscape. Before its redevelopment, the 277 Broadway centre included a Countdown supermarket and approximately 60 specialty stores. It also accommodated the New Zealand head offices of the Westfield Group. In 2005, the centre recorded retail sales of NZ$120 million, although this historical figure is not a current financial measure. A 2008 assessment by a New Zealand retail expert group gave the centre three out of four stars, describing it as one of the country's better-performing shopping centres while also identifying parking as a significant weakness. Westfield announced plans in 2009 for a substantial expansion on the southern side of Mortimer Pass. The proposal envisaged a new centre at 309 Broadway, connected to the existing 277 Broadway site by a two-level pedestrian airbridge. The project followed preparations for a broader redevelopment of the existing site and the removal of a 1980s office tower to create space for expansion. Planning and delivery took several years, with the project also affected by uncertainty over the relocation of the Village SKYCITY Cinemas operation. The original centre closed in February 2018 for a major rebuild and extension. The redevelopment ultimately represented an investment reported in reference material as approximately NZ$790 million and roughly doubled the centre's size. The enlarged complex was designed to accommodate about 230 shops and approximately 2,800 car parks, substantially increasing the number and range of retailers compared with the pre-redevelopment centre. Reopening took place in stages from August 2019, beginning with around 40 stores, with further stores opening through the end of that year. The pedestrian airbridge linking the 309 and 277 Broadway buildings opened in October 2019. Today, Westfield Newmarket functions as a destination shopping and lifestyle centre rather than only a conventional local mall. Its offer is built around a broad tenant mix, including fashion, beauty, specialty retail, grocery, dining, services and entertainment. Its position on Broadway and its connection across Mortimer Pass are central to the centre's role in Newmarket's wider commercial district. The redevelopment was intended to provide a larger, more contemporary retail environment and to strengthen the centre's ability to attract national and international brands. The centre has also faced scrutiny over customer parking practices, including criticism in November 2019 alleging that some practices were deceptive or misleading.

Westfield Newmarket developed from a shopping centre established in Newmarket during the 1980s. Its original 277 Broadway site became an important retail destination in Auckland and was sometimes referred to simply as “277.” Before the later redevelopment, the centre contained a Countdown supermarket and approximately 60 specialty retailers. The site also housed the New Zealand head offices of the Westfield Group. The centre was already regarded as a strong performer before its expansion. Historical reference material records retail sales of NZ$120 million in 2005. In a 2008 assessment of New Zealand shopping centres, it received three out of four stars. The assessment considered shopping area, economic performance, amenities, appeal and future growth prospects. The centre was praised for its performance, while parking was identified as a persistent difficulty. In 2009, Westfield made public plans for a new shopping centre on the southern side of Mortimer Pass. The proposal centred on a new 309 Broadway building connected to the existing 277 Broadway mall by a two-level pedestrian airbridge. The development required substantial changes to the surrounding site, including the demolition of a 1980s office tower that had occupied land needed for the expansion. The broader project had been under preparation for some time, although progress was reportedly affected by questions about whether Village SKYCITY Cinemas would relocate from its existing location. The existing centre closed in February 2018 for a major rebuild and expansion. The redevelopment roughly doubled the centre's size and was designed to increase the number of retailers several times over. Reference material describes the completed project as a NZ$790 million redevelopment, with an eventual target of approximately 230 shops and 2,800 car parks. Because the project was delivered in stages, reopening began in August 2019 with around 40 stores and continued through the end of the year. The new connection between the two Broadway buildings opened in October 2019, creating an integrated centre across Mortimer Pass. The expanded complex was intended to provide a more contemporary and destination-oriented retail environment, with a larger selection of shops, dining venues, services and entertainment. It remains part of Scentre Group's Westfield portfolio and operates within Newmarket's wider commercial and transport-oriented retail district. The post-redevelopment period also brought criticism. In November 2019, the centre was criticised over alleged deceptive and misleading parking practices. This issue is part of the centre's documented public history, although the available reference material does not establish a final legal outcome or quantify any financial penalty.

• 2019

  Redeveloped centre begins reopening

  [1]Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org

  The first stage of the redeveloped centre opened in August 2019, followed by further store openings later in the year.

• 2019

  Airbridge opens

  [1]Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org

  The pedestrian airbridge between 309 and 277 Broadway opened in October 2019.

• 2018

  Centre closes for redevelopment

  [1]Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org

  Westfield Newmarket closed in February 2018 for a major rebuilding and expansion programme.

• 2009

  Expansion proposal announced

  [1]Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org

  Plans became public for a new shopping-centre building south of Mortimer Pass, linked to 277 Broadway by a two-level airbridge.

• 2008

  Receives three-star retail-centre assessment

  [1]Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org

  A New Zealand shopping-centre assessment awarded Westfield Newmarket three out of four stars, recognising its performance while noting parking problems.

• 2005

  Historical retail sales recorded

  [1]Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports retail sales of NZ$120 million for the centre in 2005.

• 1980

  Original centre opens

  [1]Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org

  The original Westfield Newmarket centre opened during the 1980s at the 277 Broadway site.

A large metropolitan shopping and lifestyle centre serving Auckland, with a broad retail, dining, grocery, services and entertainment offer.

• Shopping centre

  Westfield Newmarket retail centre

  The core offering is a large multi-building shopping centre serving Newmarket and the wider Auckland market. Following the 2018–2019 redevelopment, the centre expanded to approximately 230 shops and a substantially broader tenant mix. Its offer spans fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle, groceries, specialty retail, services and food and beverage. The 277 and 309 Broadway buildings are connected by a pedestrian airbridge over Mortimer Pass.

• Grocery and convenience

  Grocery and everyday retail

  Before redevelopment, the centre included a Countdown supermarket alongside specialty stores. Grocery and everyday shopping form an important part of the centre's practical local-service role, complementing its destination retail, dining and entertainment uses.

• Food, beverage and entertainment

  Dining and entertainment

  Westfield Newmarket's expanded format includes food and beverage venues and entertainment-oriented facilities as part of its lifestyle-centre proposition. The development was also associated with plans involving the Village SKYCITY Cinemas operation, although the available material does not provide a definitive account of its final configuration.

• Customer service infrastructure · 2019

  Customer parking

  The redeveloped centre was planned with approximately 2,800 car parks. Parking is a significant part of the customer proposition and has also been a recurring point of public criticism, both in earlier assessments and in allegations concerning practices reported in 2019.

• 2019

  Criticism over parking practices

  In November 2019, Westfield Newmarket was criticised over allegations that aspects of its parking practices were deceptive or misleading. The available reference does not establish the final legal or regulatory outcome.

  Source

Read more

• 2019

  Reopen the expanded centre in stagesProduct launch

  Background

  The scale of the construction programme required the enlarged retail complex to return to operation progressively rather than all at once.

  Action taken

  The first reopening stage began in August 2019 with approximately 40 stores, followed by additional openings through the end of the year.

  Aftermath

  The new 309 Broadway building and refurbished 277 Broadway site became connected as an integrated Westfield Newmarket complex after the airbridge opened in October 2019.

  Source

• 2018

  Close the centre for a full redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  Westfield pursued a large-scale rebuild rather than a limited refurbishment, aiming to increase floor area, retailer capacity and the centre's destination appeal.

  Action taken

  The centre closed in February 2018 while the expansion and refurbishment were carried out.

  Aftermath

  The project reopened in phases from August 2019 and produced a substantially larger centre with approximately 230 shops and 2,800 car parks.

  Reported redevelopment investment. NZ$790 million (Redevelopment completed in phases during 2019)

  Source

• 2009

  Plan a new centre across Mortimer PassStrategy

  Background

  The existing 277 Broadway centre required additional capacity and a more substantial retail proposition. Westfield therefore publicised plans for a new building on the southern side of Mortimer Pass.

  Action taken

  The planned 309 Broadway development was designed to connect with the existing centre through a two-level pedestrian airbridge.

  Aftermath

  The proposal ultimately developed into the major 2018–2019 redevelopment that expanded the centre to roughly twice its former size.

  Source

1. 1Westfield Newmarketen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Westfield Newmarket official websitewestfield.co.nz