Invercargill Central Project Wins Another Prestigious Property Award
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- Invercargill Central won the Yardi Retail Property Award at NZ’s top property awards.
- The project completed on time and on budget despite COVID-19 challenges.
- The development aims to revive Invercargill with a community hub and retail centre.
Invercargill Central has been awarded the Yardi Retail Property Award at the prestigious Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards. This recognition was one of 11 Excellence and Best in Category awards presented during the event, showcasing the best of New Zealand’s property developments. Related: Amalgamated Builders Earns Top Honours for Invercargill Central Development
Invercargill City Mayor said, ‘Pleased to be in Auckland as we were awarded the top retail build award for our ICL (Mall). This award evening run by the NZ Property Council is the top award event in NZ with several senior Ministers present and 1500 industry players. So, well done to all involved, including the O’Donnells (Scott and Joc), Geoff Thompson, Jackie (Community Trust Southland), Brian (our HoldCo chair), Kathryn Ball (ICL Director), Amalgamated Builders Ltd and the Project team led by Geoff Cotton. We were also in the mix for the supreme award (I felt we would have been a worthy winner) – we delivered a massive project on budget, on time, in covid driven supply costs times and a tight retail environment.’
The Invercargill Central project, completed in three stages, includes 47 retail tenancies, a childcare centre, five restaurant tenancies, four office tenancies, and four levels of parking. Additionally, a nine-storey commercial office building adds prime commercial space, creating a new landmark in the city.
The project’s aim was to revitalise a city block that had suffered from retail decline and reduced footfall. It was designed to be a community hub with a focus on user enjoyment. The redevelopment of Invercargill Central is deeply embedded in local context, reflecting the site’s history and welcoming people back.
Invercargill Central Project Director Geoff Cotton highlighted the impact of the development for Invercargill and Southland. “The immense effort of the consultants to secure consents and produce high-quality construction documents allowed ABL to construct the project and complete it.
The delivery team identified the likely problems of the impact of Covid at an early stage and promoted solutions such as early ordering and delivery of plant and equipment, securing additional resource, working extended hours and split shifts. These interventions ensured that even during this period of significant uncertainty, this large and complex project was completed on the contract date,” he said.
Cotton also emphasised the project’s testament to public-private partnerships, stating, “The involvement of Invercargill City Council throughout the process, along with their positive approach to this project, combined with a strong private leadership team, has ensured a successful outcome in both cost and time – something that is rarely achieved in this method of project delivery.”
The project team faced significant challenges, including heritage protection, which required consulting with Heritage New Zealand to ensure new builds complemented existing heritage facades. The complexity of the design and the detailed resource consent process marked this as New Zealand’s first entire-block redevelopment.
Amalgamated Builders Limited, responsible for the construction, has previously received multiple awards for their exceptional craftsmanship. Leonie Freeman, Property Council New Zealand chief executive, praised the project, stating, “Invercargill Central stands as a testament to innovative design and deliberate development. This precinct breathes life back into the heart of New Zealand’s most southern city, providing locals with a community hub with public social spaces to enjoy for years to come.”
The development features thoughtful design elements inspired by Invercargill’s climate and surroundings, such as vertical Kaynemaile and LED lighting inspired by the Aurora Australis. The project prioritises sustainability, utilising energy-efficient systems and smart sensors to manage lighting and ventilation.
Andrew Evans, Property Industry Awards chief judge, commended the project, saying, “Invercargill Central has been a high-level operation from start to finish, and it is clear from the big picture details right down to the small-scale elements. The team involved applied years of experience to execute a successfully curated retail hub desperately needed to revive the city.”