New entertainment and retail centre planned for Rotorua

A new all-weather entertainment and retail centre is being planned for in Rotorua with an expected opening in early 2016.

The development known as Lynmore Junction will now incorporate a major new facility to be known as "Zone Play Rotorua". This will include a range of entertainment facilities such as 7D cinema, ten pin bowling, trampoline parks, laser strike and other similar activities of an international standard. The entertainment offering will be supported by a range of retail and food to go experiences.

Stage 1 of the site will incorporate "Zone Play Rotorua", a service station and a fast food/drive through operation. Stage 2 will immediately follow Stage 1 and will include convenience retail and a supermarket.

Mr Ryan Holmes, Director of Holmes Group, said that the company had been considering a development on the site for some time, but wanted to wait until they were able to secure the most appropriate uses for the site.

The company has engaged retail and commercial development specialists RCG Limited to drive the development. Interest from both leisure/entertainment and retailers has been very high with an expectation that the development will be secured to a high level of leasing commitment by March 2015.

"It is apparent that Rotorua lacks depth in true entertainment facilities to cater for the city’s local and visitor markets. "Zone Play Rotorua will fill that need" said Mr Holmes.

He added that the site on Te Ngae Road provided a high level of traffic exposure and had the ability to draw not only from Rotorua visitors but also from Tauranga, Whakatane and Taupo, with easy access to the site from all directions.

Ample free parking and sheltered shopfronts, together with energetic and playful architecture and graphics, will make this a quality, all-weather, family friendly centre.

"We are very excited about this development and the opportunity it brings to Rotorua" said Mr Holmes.

Mr Desmond Wai, Director of RCG Limited, said that his company, in collaboration with Paul Sanford of NAI Harcourts Rotorua, has spent the past four months in discussion with potential tenants for the site, exploring the most appropriate uses.

"We have been very focussed as to the type of leisure and retail activity that we are seeking and we are determined to make this as successful as other developments we have been involved with in the " said Mr Wai. He added that the "Zone Play" concept was becoming very popular worldwide and would draw customers from a wide regional area.

Mr Wai said that, prior to the development commencing, further details will be released as to the list of entertainment operators and retailers who would likely occupy the "Zone Play Rotorua" development. However, there will be a careful mix of retail, additional to the entertainment and leisure category, to satisfy demand particularly in food retailing.