The Base (shopping centre)

Shopping centre in Hamilton, New Zealand

The Base

The Base in 2013

Location| Hamilton, New Zealand
Address| Cnr Te Rapa Road & Avalon Drive, Te Rapa
Opening date| 2005[1]
Owner| Tainui Group Holdings (50%)
Kiwi Property Group (50%)
No. of stores and services| 172
No. of anchor tenants| 9
Total retail floor area| 81,000 sq m
Website| https://www.kiwiproperty.com/the-base/

The Base is a regional shopping centre located in Te Rapa, in the New Zealand city of Hamilton. The centre consists of the original outdoor strip mall, and the more recent Te Awa enclosed shopping mall.

## History

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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 Pōtatau Te Wherowhero title (named after the first Māori king), which means it can never be sold or alienated.[citation needed]

In 2002 Tainui Group Holdings announced that they would build a $50 million 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.[citation needed]

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.[2]

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.[citation needed]

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

## Ownership and value

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The Base was formerly wholly owned by Tainui Group Holdings, the holding company for the assets of the Waikato-Tainui Iwi, and has been valued at over $250M.[3] However, in 2016 NZX-listed Kiwi Property Group invested $192.5 million in acquiring a 50% stake. This investment values the property at $385 million.[4]

## Buses

[edit]

Previous timetabled stop  | Route  | Next timetabled stop

|
|

Terminus | Comet
| Hamilton Transport Centre
towards Waikato Hospital
Maui Street
towards Terminus | 01
Pukete  | Hamilton Transport Centre
Terminus | 18
Te Rapa  | Waterworld Hamilton
towards Hamilton Transport Centre
Horotiu
towards Ngaruawahia | 21
Huntly/Northern Connector  | Hamilton Transport Centre

## See also

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* List of shopping centres in New Zealand
* Rotokauri Public Transport Hub

## References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Base (shopping centre).

1. ^ Mark Smith (2012). Ngaruawahia 1980-2010 A Brief History. Lions Club of Ngaruawahia Incorporated Charitable Trust. ISBN 978-0-473-21930-7. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
2. ^ Drinnan, John (27 June 2007). "Warehouse pulls out of complex early". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
3. ^ "Historical Perspective". The Base. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
4. ^ Kiwi Property - Annual Report 2016

* v
* t
* e

Shopping centres in New Zealand

Auckland|

* Botany Town Centre
* The Boundary
* Commercial Bay Shopping Centre
* Dress Smart Onehunga
* Glenfield Mall
* LynnMall
* Mānawa Bay
* Mercury Plaza
* NorthWest Shopping Centre
* Ormiston Town Centre
* Pakuranga Plaza
* Royal Oak Mall
* Southmall Manurewa
* Sylvia Park
* Victoria Park Market
* Westfield Albany
* Westfield Manukau City
* Westfield Newmarket
* Westfield St Lukes
* WestCity Waitakere

Waikato|

* The Base
* Chartwell Shopping Centre
* Centre Place

Bay of Plenty|

* Bayfair Shopping Centre
* Papamoa Plaza
* Tauranga Crossing

Manawatū-Whanganui|

* The Plaza Shopping Centre
* Levin Shopping Centre

Wellington|

* Coastlands Shopping Centre
* North City Shopping Centre
* Old Bank Arcade
* Queensgate Shopping Centre

Tasman|

* Richmond Mall

Canterbury|

* Bush Inn Centre
* City Mall
* Dress Smart Hornby
* Northlands Shopping Centre
* The Palms Shopping Centre
* The Station
* Tower Junction
* Westfield Riccarton

Otago|

* Centre City Mall
* Golden Centre Mall
* Meridian Mall
* Wall Street Mall

Southland|

* Invercargill Central Mall

37°44′51.27″S 175°13′54.34″E﻿ / ﻿37.7475750°S 175.2317611°E﻿ / -37.7475750; 175.2317611
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