This total inner-city redevelopment sees the urban fabric of the Invercargill CBD reimagined as a dynamic, walkable precinct.
This multi-use development comprises three zones with Farmers as the anchor tenant, retail facilities and a 650-space car park occupying a whole city block. The WT team started with initial masterplanning of the site in 2018 and continued our services as each of the three Zones were delivered over a five-year period.
One of the key objectives was to reactivate Esk Street. Here, three heritage façades have been retained and restored, maintaining a strong connection to the past. In addition, 11 distinct façades replicate the scale and diversity of a traditional high street, reinstating Esk Street as a prime retail destination.
Zone 1 Tenancy
This large format 7,399m² 2-storey Farmers retail store and upstairs childcare facility are the anchor tenants in the current Invercargill city center redevelopment and opened to the public in July 2022. The heritage façade was retained in an effort to merge old and new.
Zone 2 Retail
An integral part of the Invercargill Central redevelopment, the contemporary Zone 2 area spans two levels and creates a hub for retail, food, and beverage, Esk Eats. With a main entrance on Esk Street, Zone 2 travels through the middle of the new precinct, through to Tay Street. The scheme is mindful of the unique climatic conditions on the southern tip of New Zealand. Laneways are internal, yet designed to feel as if they are outdoors using skylights, floor finishes that imitate external paving, and elements repeated from the façades completed in 2023.
Zone 3 Carpark
Development of a new 24,000m² 4-Storey car parking facility providing 650 spaces in Invercargill as part of the new Invercargill Central redevelopment. On Tay Street, the multi-deck carpark screen is made from Kaynemaile, a bio-circular, polycarbonate mesh designed and made in New Zealand. An attractive and practical screen during the day, at night it is lit up by colour-changing lights inspired by the Southern Lights (aurora australis). The Buchan team worked closely with the lighting engineers and Kaynemaile to test and perfect the feature. Opened in 2022.
Invercargill Central has been awarded:
- WT Project of the Year Winner 2023 (Stages 1 to 4)
- NZIA Southern Commercial Award 2024 (Stages 1 to 3)
- Property Industry Awards: Excellence Best in Category Retail 2024 (Stages 1 to 3)
Services provided
WT provided full Quantity Surveying and financial advisory services across all stages of the project, including:
- Cost planning from masterplanning through detailed design for all precinct zones
- Preparation of Schedules of Quantities for base-build and tenancy works
- Tender evaluation and negotiation support for multiple trade packages
- Financial reporting, progress claim assessment, and variation control across staged delivery
- Tax and facilities-management cost advice for long-term asset operation
- Integration of all zones into a consolidated cost management framework and financial model
Challenges
Delivering a project of this scale within a confined CBD block required careful staging and coordination. Multiple zones were designed, tendered, and constructed on overlapping timelines, each with its own procurement pathway and commercial drivers. WT’s role was to align budgets, reporting, and risk management across these parallel workstreams so that cost certainty was maintained at a precinct-wide level.
The redevelopment also combined heritage retention with complex new-build structures. Maintaining the Esk Street façades while tying them into new construction demanded close collaboration with engineers and contractors, as well as clear cost allocation between restoration and new work.
COVID-19 significantly impacted the market conditions at the time. This added further pressure with capacity constraints and cost escalation, requiring constant monitoring. WT developed flexible estimating models and live cost tracking to manage price risk and give the client confidence that procurement decisions reflected real-time market conditions.
Successes and value added
WT’s long-term involvement from masterplanning through delivery provided the client with clear financial oversight across all zones and project stages. By consolidating reporting into a single financial framework,
WT minimised the risk of inconsistent cost data between design packages and contractors, giving both the client and investors confidence in overall project performance.
Working closely with the design and project teams, WT’s early-stage cost modelling supported key innovations that made Invercargill Central a landmark regional development. These included the integration of curated retail, dining, and civic zones within a single, walkable city block; a distinctive Esk Street façade that preserves the appearance of multiple historic buildings while enclosing a modern mall; and a network of internal laneways and skylit circulation spaces that bring natural light into the heart of the precinct.
WT’s advice also helped enable several technical design features, such as a fully automated car parking and billing system, flexible flat floor plates to support future change of use, and a roofed top deck designed to host community events. The building envelope itself incorporates a custom cladding and lighting system inspired by the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis), contributing to the project’s strong local identity.
Our continuous cost management ensured these design ambitions were delivered within budget, with clear visibility of costs across design, tendering, and construction. Collaboration between WT’s Commercial, Advisory, and Infrastructure teams also allowed for integrated delivery across the wider Invercargill city centre renewal programme – including facilities management and streetscape upgrades – ensuring consistency and long-term value for the client.
Project lead:
