Wednesday, August 7, 2013
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
The real experts plead: Keep our playgrounds exciting FULL STORY
P5
ASHBURTON
www.guardianonline.co.nz
Children at Mt Somers Springburn School say that the designers have no passion for playgrounds and are mainly concerned about safety. PHOTO GABRIELLE STUART 060813-GS-010
■ NEW DEVELOPMENT PLANNED
Multi-million boost for Methven
BY SUSAN SANDYS
SUSAN.S@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Methven will be well placed to attract new businesses when a new multimillion dollar retail, office and apartment complex is built, says its developer. Two buildings owned by Auckland entrepreneur Robert Smallbone will be demolished by early next year – the town’s earthquake damaged indoor skate park and the neighbouring activity centre, both of which no longer operate. The project’s property and development manager Mark Jacobs said a two-storey building, with a style in keeping with a 1913
“
It’s about going forward and having faith that this town is going places long-term
emporium and pharmacy which used to be there, was planned for the site. A courtyard with plantings would also be established, located between the rear of the new building and other retail sites owned by Mr Smallbone along McMillan Street and opposite the Methven mall. The new 1350 square metre
area would include potentially six apartments and seven business unit sites, which would be for offices or shops. Mr Jacobs said Methven was becoming an attractive area for businesses, and there were few vacant retail sites left around town. A new upmarket retail complex in the mall renovated by Mr Smallbone in recent years
was filling up, with sculptor Hannah Kidd in one site, second-hand furniture sold from another, while a new tenant he did not want to name was undertaking interior renovations and planning to open later this year from another. “It’s taken a while to get to this, but now it’s getting some occupancy, it’s about going forward and having faith that this town is going places long-term,” Mr Jacobs. He said Methven was the national headquarters for the Young Farmers Club with more than one dozen staff working there, and he wanted to see other
organisations consider basing themselves from the town, which had a scenic location and good infrastructure and new subdivisions. “We have the marketing slogan ‘Amazing Space’. Let’s extrapolate that out to ‘Amazing Space to Do Business From’.” “If people are considering where they could do business from (particularly post-earthquakes), make a lifestyle choice and come here,” Mr Jacobs said. He was talking to engineers and architects and consent drawings were currently being prepared. Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe!
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