Wraps officially come off latest swish retail block

The Hastings CBD's newest additions were officially opened at a special ceremony led by Wallace Developments at the weekend.

The company redeveloped the shops in Heretaunga St West for Cotton On Mega store, PaperPlus and Caroline Eve. Mayor Lawrence Yule did the honours by opening the new section of retail, in the former Farmers' whiteware site, under the Hastings clock tower.

Company development manager Mike Walker said he was happy to see the project completed.

"It was a relatively straight-forward ground-floor retail development but we had to make changes to accommodate the earthquake-strengthening requirements, which were more extensive than first thought."

It was the second major project in the city for the company. Farmers combined its two Hastings' stores into one this year, at a new site further down Heretaunga St West, which was also the work of Wallace Developments.

The company's next project in Hastings will be the former power board building on the corner of Heretaunga St East and Warren St, which will be prepared for new tenants including Hawke's Bay Today.

The building's existing four floors will be reduced to two and work will then be done to earthquake-strengthen the structure.

"We have just let the contract for demolition and they are about to establish on the site.

"In Napier, we are under way with work on the Cosmopolitan Club, which is three-quarters demolished, and we are about to start on the Paxie's Building which is on 180 Hastings St, also in Napier," Mr Walker said.