Meridian Mall, Dunedin

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Meridian Mall
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The Meridian Mall, Dunedin
Location Dunedin, New Zealand
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Address 267 George Street
Opening date 1997-09-05
Developer Arthur Barnett Ltd
Management Prime Retail
Owner Lend Lease Real Estate Partners New Zealand Fund
Architect ASA Crone Architects
No. of stores and services 50
No. of anchor tenants 3
No. of floors 3

The Meridian Mall is a large shopping complex in Dunedin, New Zealand designed by ASA Crone Architects, an Australian development company. At 16,000 m2 (172,222.6 sq ft)[1] it is the largest retail mall in the southern South Island, and one of the largest in the South Island as a whole.

The mall was constructed in 1995-1997 behind the former Arthur Barnett building in George Street which was designed by Edmund Anscombe (1874-1948) and completed in 1924. The new complex is a central retail hub, with Arthur Barnett as one of the two anchor tenants. It opened on 5 September 1997 with the final development costs close to NZ$50 million. Arthur Barnett sold the mall to ING Real Estate Australia for $52.65 million in April 2003,[2][3] using the proceeds to retire debt.

In 2010 it was purchased by Lend Lease Group (LLC) for $185 million, along with three Dress Smart outlets in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.[4] In October 2011, Lend Lease sold the four shopping centres to its new Lend Lease Real Estate Partners New Zealand Fund for $NZ197 million.[4]

The mall contains 50 shops spread over three levels, including a large food court on the lower level.[1] The two largest retailers are Kmart, which occupies a large corner of the top floor, and Arthur Barnett, on parts of the ground floor and the basement level. In mid-2010, Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi opened into space previously a part of Kmart.[5] Above these three levels is a multi-storey car park, the Arthur Barnett Corporate Offices, and a doctor's office.

The neon advertising sign for Arthur Barnett that sits atop the mall is a prominent feature on the Dunedin skyline. Named Can't Stop, it features a small man trying to control a large horse, possibly a Clydesdale. It was designed by the New Zealand artist Heber Thompson for the 1924 building.

Golden Centre Mall and Wall Street

File:Meridian Mall side.jpg
The Hanover Street facade of the mall

The Meridian Mall is linked to the independently operated Golden Centre, which was one of Dunedin's first shopping malls. This lies immediately to the south, and beyond this lies the Wall Street Mall, which was opened on March 21, 2009. Renovation and expansion of the Golden Centre during 2009 has resulted in the three malls being linked internally in November 2009[6] The three malls thus form one continuous complex occupying almost the entire two-hectare central city block, having a total floor area of over 28,000 m2 (6.9 acres).

The Wall Street development was delayed by the discovery on the site of one of Dunedin's earliest walkways, dating from the 1850s, less than a decade after the city was founded.[7]

Wall Street Retail Complex

The Wall Street Retail Complex is a boutique arcade mall, and has a number of fashion tenants such as Country Road, Maher Shoes, Levis, as well as Marbeck's cafe, opened in early/mid-2009.[8]

List of tenants:

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Historic Places Trust website
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links