Owner Skyline Enterprises says after three years of intensive planning, the 18-month project will ‘‘revitalise the building inside and out’’.
The tourism giant’s property manager, Alastair Clifford, said the resort would get the modern, 21st-century shopping mall it deserved when it reopened in November next year.
With a ‘‘stunning’’ design by local architect Preston Stevens, each of the 4000sq m building’s four floors would be modified for a mix of retail and commercial spaces.
The ground-floor food hall would be retained.
Local and international brands were expected to take up new tenancies when it reopened, while some of the food hall operators were expected to be offshoots of existing local businesses, Mr Clifford said.
‘‘We’re sure this will be a focal point and also a primary shopping destination for Queenstowners and visitors for the next 30 years, and beyond.’’
The building, on the corner of Camp and Beach Sts, opened in 1988 as the resort’s first major shopping centre.
Tenants stopped trading on Sunday, and have until next Friday to move out.
Contractors from Naylor Love take over the site on February 17.
Mr Clifford said the tenants had accepted it was time for the upgrade.
‘‘They’re sad to leave, obviously, but they know the building has reached the end of this stage of its life.’’
Site hoardings along Camp St and Upper Beach St would go up in a couple of weeks, while a container walkway on the Camp St frontage would ensure the public was protected from potential construction hazards.
Construction work would be confined to between 7.30am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
The redevelopment is Skyline’s second major commercial building project in central Queenstown in recent years.
It opened the Eichardt’s Building in Marine Pde in 2016.
