Homebase shopping centre expansion gears up in Shirley

The Homebase shopping centre in Christchurch is set to more than double in size as the construction of up to 20 large-scale retailers and an anchor supermarket gets under way over the next few months.

The developers of Homebase on Marshland Rd in Shirley are finalising their plans to expand to the north of the original shopping area.

An anchor supermarket chain has already been confirmed and Colliers is anticipating more interest from retailers once the construction phase of the project gets under way in the next few months.

Evan Harris. Photo: Linkedin

Max and Glen Percasky, the brothers who developed The Palms shopping centre in the 1990s, will develop the expansion, while Colliers will handle the leasing of the site.

Colliers International retail consultant Evan Harris said there will be space for 15 to 20 large-scale retailers in the new complex.

The Press previously reported a Countdown/Woolworths supermarket was one of the new tenants going into Homebase but Countdown would not confirm the move.

Construction of stage one of Homebase's large-scale retailers is set to start in about April or June.

"It's probably going to be middle of the second quarter of the year now. (We're) looking to open stage one soon after Christmas (2025)," Harris said.

Christchurch City Council approved a private plan change in May last year to allow the Homebase retail centre on Marshland Rd to expand. Photo: Newsline

"And then we move on to stage two, which is about 18 months later."

Work on stage two, which includes the new supermarket, is due to start in mid-2025. Then work on stage three is set to get under way from mid-2026.

Harris admits it has been a long process. The developers now have the overall resource consent for rezoning the land but the individual building consent applications are with the Christchurch City Council.

"We're just waiting for the council to hopefully approve those smoothly and then we'll be under way."

An artist's impression of the shops to open at Homebase. Image: Supplied

Once the expansion is finished, Harris said Homebase will become the biggest large-format retail centre in Christchurch, servicing a residential population of about 100,000 people.

Research shows there is a market and need for more retailers in Shirley, Harris said. He expected Homebase to complement the nearby Palms shopping centre.

"(The Palms has) got mostly specialty stores, which are 100 to 150 square meters, small fashion stores. Our minimum size is 450 square meters. So, it's quite a different style of tenant."

- By Emily O'Hagan, made with the support of NZ On Air