The Base (shopping centre)

The Base

Location	Hamilton, New Zealand
Address	Cnr Te Rapa Road & Avalon Drive, Te Rapa
Opening date	29 Jul 2010
Owner	Tainui Group Holdings
No. of stores and services	172
No. of anchor tenants	9
Total retail floor area	81,000 sq m
Website	http://www.the-base.co.nz

The Base is a regional shopping centre located in Te Rapa, in the New Zealand city of Hamilton.

History

The 30 hectare block of land that The Base sits on traditionally belonged to Waikato-Tainui. It was taken prior to World War II by the Crown under the Public Works Act for defence purposes, and became the Te Rapa Air Force Base (hence the name), which eventually closed in 1992. The land came back to the tribe in 1995 as part of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu (land confiscation) settlement. It was put into what is known as Pootatau Te Wherowhero title (named after the first Māori king), which means it can never be sold or alienated.

In 2002 TGH announced that they would build a $50m retail development that would eventually cover over 60,000 square metres of retail and commercial space. The initial resource consents were lodged, requiring a change to the Hamilton City District Plan, which the Council agreed to. However, there was a year of delays while a number of objectors appealed the Council approval to both the Environment and High Courts. Both challenges were lost and work finally began in August 2004.

In 2002 The Warehouse Group (TWG) was signed up as the anchor tenant of stage one of The Base. The first 16,000 square metres was to house one of their largest stores, and the first with the new store format that is in use today throughout the country. TWG later became part of a joint venture company with Tainui to operate the mall. In 2007, Tainui Group Holdings paid $37.4m to buy out The Warehouse Group's 50% stake in the joint venture company.

At the core of the site are three very important pou (carved poles). The first is symbolic, representing traditional guardianship of the site; the second acknowledges the recent presence of the Royal New Zealand Air Force; the third is a contemporary design that depicts the present day, and modernisation of the tribe.

The Base design was awarded a silver medal at the 2012 Asia Pacific Shopping Centre Awards in China.

Ownership

The Base is fully owned by the Iwi-based Tainui Group Holdings and has been valued at over $250m. The complex stands on land which is traditionally Waikato Tainui, and was formerly the site of the Te Rapa Air Force Base, which closed in 1992. This former use is the origin of the complex's name. The land was returned to the Tainui people in 1995.