WO R K > D O W N T O W N
TAU R A N G A
COMING OF AGE Tauranga city centre shakes off its recent reputation as a ghost town, with a redevelopment led by passion, determination and true entrepreneurial spirit. PH OTOS SALI NA GA LVA N
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local business owner rolls up his sleeves washing dishes in his favourite café, gifting hours to the owner who has too many staff away self-isolating. Across the street two entrepreneurs stack native plant extracts on the shelves of their start-up business that has a big vision to reforest New Zealand. A block away two new business owners are riding the crest of the boom in book sales, flying in the face of the digital age. Around the corner a new business owner opens for another day at Tauranga’s first dessert-only restaurant, across the street from the $200 million Farmers retail development, just opened. Down on the Strand an ambitious restauranteur looks at design plans for her third city centre restaurant, soon to open. Where is all this entrepreneurial innovation, grit and investment coming from and why? Isn’t our city centre dying? Isn’t that what people have been saying? Truth is, Tauranga city centre is far from dying. Ask the passionate CBD business owners and they’ll tell you the doomsday claims are misinformed and likely from
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people who haven’t visited in a while. Sure, it’s been tough. The city centre’s been taken to its knees in recent years, and there’s still work to do, but there’s newfound optimism, energy, growth, opportunity and real investment that’s making a difference. A significant one. So, what’s pulling it all together? There’s the projected $1.5 billion of development planned or underway in the city, the new civic precinct development with an inspirational vision to create a more connected city with a strong sense of identity. There’s close to 20 new developments forecast for coming years – spanning office buildings and apartments, a new courthouse, council facilities and an expanding university. But there’s more than that too. Alongside the developments springing to life there’s a growing mindset of people infiltrating and dominating the city centre. Progressive, innovative, passionate people opening or advancing boutique, unique stores, eateries and businesses that you can’t find elsewhere. People who see opportunity with excitement, obstacles as a challenge and community building as a way of life. Our city centre is in revival.
