New Zealand shoppers will receive a warm welcome to what a truly international modern retail outlet centre has to offer when Auckland Airport opens the doors to Mānawa Bay – its purpose-built premium outlet shopping destination – in the second half of 2024.
The 24,000sqm outlet shopping centre is being built on the water’s edge of Auckland Airport’s precinct.
The Auckland Airport team has shared a sneak preview of some of the tenants, which include Kate Spade (with its first-ever outlet store in New Zealand), as well as Coach, Fila, Under Armour, Puma and Flo & Frankie.
Commercial chief Mark Thomson said Auckland Airport was delighted to begin announcing the retailers committing to Mānawa Bay, bringing a quality range of fashion, sportswear and accessories at outlet prices.
“We’re thrilled with how the project’s being received by the market. The outlet centre’s filling up fast with all anchor sites now under head of terms or agreement to lease”.
Further to this, the Auckland Airport team has more than 50 per cent of the net lettable area now under either signed heads of terms or agreement to lease. They are in live discussions with more than 80 potential tenants for the centre.
Thomson said: “Brands are gaining access to what will be New Zealand’s first purpose-built outlet shopping centre – designed and created based on what retailers require to offer the best experience possible to their customers.
“The entire outlet centre is a greenfields site, designed with high-quality retailing outcomes in mind, for both customers and retailers. Everything has been carefully thought through.
“We’re building two loading docks for tenants to move stock into the centre and ample additional storage capacity for retailers, making it an efficient and spacious centre for them to operate in,” he said.
Mānawa Bay is committed to a number of key sustainability initiatives. It will be supporting what’s expected to be the largest rooftop solar system in New Zealand on top of the 35,000sqm building. At 2.3-megawatts, the solar array is planned to support more than 80 per cent of the centre’s anticipated power usage.
The centre will also have zero natural gas or LPG available on site, making it the country’s first-ever fully electric dining area at a shopping centre.
The build is progressing well and despite wet weather, is all on track to program. The building foundations are 90 per cent complete, and the structural steel for the building envelope is 60 per cent completed with roofing underway. The development has also poured 3000sqm of retail floor space.
When completed, it will offer a light-filled, architecturally striking home for 100 plus stores across ranging in size from 50sqm to 1500sqm.
“Our vision for this $200 million-plus investment is to inspire New Zealanders with the best imaginable outlet shopping experience,” said Thomson.
The outlet centre has been named Mānawa Bay, reflecting the airport’s unique location on the Māngere Peninsula and the historical and cultural significance of this area to tangata whenua. In te reo Māori, Mānawa means mangroves – a coastal plant species that has long featured in the waterways surrounding the land Auckland Airport sits on.
Mānawa Bay boasts a sought-after premium proposition. It makes the most of its water-facing location and will embrace large, light-filled open spaces in the dining area, and an easy-to-navigate figure-of-eight layout for the centre.
More information: www.manawabay.co.nz
