Business owner left in the dark on development
She’s getting a new neighbour, but she doesn’t know who. And she’s not impressed.
An Auckland business owner said she had no idea what will be developed - right next to her restaurant.
Kim Workman has been in the process of taking ownership of Wagamama at the Northwest Shopping Centre in Auckland since March.
The restaurant had a large glass window which looked out to a construction site. Diggers and workmen could be seen on the site.
Workman said she understood the New Zealand Retail Property Group (NZRPG) owned the land at the end of Kohuhu Lane, and had contacted them ‘‘numerous times’’ with no response.
‘‘I literally have no idea what my windows are going to look out into,’’ Workman said.
Workman’s restaurant was part of the Northwest Shopping Centre, owned by listed property company Stride Property Group.
The Westgate Town Centre was a project undertaken by Auckland Council and NZRPG.
Stride purchased one zone of the planned town centre for $25 million in 2013, and opened its first stage of the shopping centre in 2015.
But NZRPG still owned the majority of the development, including the site abutting the shopping centre’s dining area and Wagamama.
And Workman was caught between the two property giants.
NZRPG’s general manager revenue Paul Tanday said Workman should talk to Stride.
Wagamama was not its tenant, and NZRPG had no relationship with the restaurant, he said.
He said NZRPG owned the land in question and it was being held for future development.
NZRPG was focusing development on the Westgate Town Centre in the area surrounding Mitre 10, which is not near Wagamama,
‘‘I literally have no idea what my windows are going to look out into. ’’ Kim Workman, business owner
Tanday said.
Construction was also underway on a new councilfunded community centre and library.
Workman said the noise from the developments made it hard for people who came in for business meetings to concentrate.
‘‘It’s reverberating through the whole building,’’ the 35-year-old said.
The construction was one of a number of issues she had dealt with since signing on.