Somerville Business Centre

The Unique Multicultural Centre in New Zealand

Background

In 1986, the New Zealand Government first opened itself to Asian migrants under the Business Immigration Policy.

With its scenic, yet pollution-free environment, friendly people, good education system and filled with potential business opportunities to Asian countries, New Zealand gradually attracted many migrants from Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, Korea, etc. Most of the new migrants chose to stay in Auckland, with some of the new Aucklanders settled in the Pakuranga/Howick area looking for its good school zoning such as Macleans and Pakuranga Colleges, tranquil coastal views, and quality residents.

Concept of multi-cultural Business Centre in Somerville, Howick

Somerville is a new suburb sub-divided from the farmland of an early Howick settler, Archie Somerville.

In 1991, Kit Wong, a Hong Kong migrant, began a feasibility study in search for a suitable place to build a shopping complex. The increasing population growth in Somerville has made it a natural choice for such a project.

Kit's vision for the Business Centre aims:

To be the first Chinatown in New Zealand,
To provide small to medium sized investment opportunities to meet the investment needs of Asian business migrants,
To create a business environment suitable for recent migrants to trial their businesses in a manageable scale,
To help the recent migrants to do business, and mix well with local business people,
To provide a convenient shopping area as well as a social focal point for the local community and particularly those recent migrants with limited English skill.

The concept was widely accepted by the general public and other investors/developers alike as development and population of the area accelerated.

Photo Gallery

Note: More photos and newspaper clippings can be found here.

Aerial view of Somerville Business Centre, 1996.

113 Meadowland Shopping Centre under construction.

Development Timeline

July 91	Feasibility study and acquisition of land.
July 92	Stage 1 and 2 Earth Turning Ceremony.
August 92	Stage 3 construction begun.
November 92	Highgate Shopping Centre construction begun. (Developer: Creation Enterprises, another group of Hong Kong migrants)
December 92	Stage 1 and 2 completed. Tenants and investors begin to occupy the buildings.
May 93	Stage 4 and 5 construction begun.
June 93	Stage 3 construction completed.
October 93	Highgate Shopping Centre completed. Stage 4 and 5 completed.
July 94	Construction of 129 Meadowland Auto Centre begun. (Developer: Cadmin Enterprises, a local Kiwi investment syndicate)
August 94	Construction of Whitford Road Shopping Center begun.
October 94	Tai Ping Supermarket construction started. (Developer & owner: Tai Ping Trading Co., a company led by long-established Chinese New Zealander Peter Chang MNZM)
December 94	Whitford Rd Shopping Center construction completed.
February 95	Tai Ping Supermarket completed. 129 Meadowland Auto Center completed.
November 96	109 Meadowland Shopping Centre has begun construction. (Another private developer from Hong Kong)
February 97	Constuction of 113 Meadowland Shopping Centre started.
July 97	113 Meadowland Shopping Centre is complete. 'Topping Off' and Time Capsule Installation ceremony conducted by the then Prime Minister Rt. Hon James Bolger , His Worship The Mayor of Manukau Sir Barry Curtis, and Kit Wong, Managing Director of Victory Investment Properties Ltd.

Development of the whole Somerville Business Centre completed.

This article copyright (c) 2000 Kit Wong Consultant Ltd
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