South Island’s largest Large Format Retail centre takes shape in Christchurch
A major retail project is taking shape in Christchurch, New Zealand, and it’s set to bring new life and more choice to the city’s northeastern suburbs.
Located at the corner of Marshland Road and QEII Drive, the redevelopment of Homebase is well underway. Once complete, it will be the largest Large Format Retail centre in the South Island, a significant step toward rebalancing Christchurch’s commercial footprint, which has traditionally been concentrated in the west.
Stage two of the project, is being marketed for lease by Colliers, offers a variety of tenancy options for intending retailers.
Homebase sits at the meeting point of two key thoroughfares: QEII Drive, the ring road that feeds straight into the Northern Motorway, and Marshland Road, one of the city’s busiest corridors. For international readers, picture a site on the main artery linking Christchurch’s fast-growing northern suburbs with its beaches and city centre easy in-and-out access, and high exposure from surrounding routes.
Once complete, the expanded Homebase will serve a local population of around 100,000 people, drawing from established suburbs like Shirley and the wider east Christchurch area. Research shows there’s a clear appetite for more retail options in this part of the city, particularly for Large Format stores that go beyond what’s currently available.
Just down the road, The Palms continues to serve the community well, offering a mix of smaller-format specialty retailers, many between 100 to 150 square metres. But Homebase is designed to offer something different. With tenancies from 450 to over 5,000 square metres, the site is suited to destination retailers and larger operators looking who need space and visibility.
That visibility is backed by location. In addition to the well-established Bunnings, the site has attracted strong interest from major national brands. With excellent transport links and a prominent corner location, Homebase is set to become a retail hub for weekday commuters, families in growth areas like Prestons and Belfast, and the broad demographic of the eastern bay suburbs.
For retailers considering expansion into Christchurch or looking for a stronger foothold in the city, Homebase represents a great opportunity to enhance their store network in Canterbury. It’s part of a renewed investment push into the east, a part of town that hasn’t seen the same level of development as other areas in recent years. Early tenants will not only secure high-profile positions but also help shape what the future of retail looks like in this growing precinct.
