Family gives Davies Corner a facelift

CHRIS HILLOCK/Waikato Times

TIDY UP: Construction workers Chris Fowlie, left, and Alistair White at work on the new retail development.

Relevant offers

A Hamilton family are turning an eyesore at Davies Corner, left after the closure of a Mobil service station, into a retail development.

Yogesh Mistry, managing director of Pragma Fashions, said he saw an opportunity at the site off Hukanui Rd when the station closed in April 2007.

His son, Sanjil, said the site had attracted graffiti and other unwanted elements.

The family wanted to "tidy up" the corner, Sanjil Mistry said.

"It had been a bit of a mess, so it will be a big improvement once it's finished."

The new development will have six shops – a Korean food supermarket, an Indian restaurant, a fruit and vege shop, a coffee shop, a locksmith and a bakery.

Yogesh Mistry said tenants hoped to be trading on the premises by April 1.

The family are also behind a new development at 85-89 Greenwood St.

Earthworks have started on the 3000-square metre site, which will have 2118sqm of office, retail and warehouse space.

Yogesh Mistry said the Hamilton City Council's Variation 21, which is aimed at halting development of retail and office space outside the city centre and on industrial land, had not affected the Greenwood St development because consent had been obtained before the variation was notified in October.

A second development the Mistrys are considering behind KFC, off Greenwood St, is likely to be affected by the proposed policy change. Yogesh Mistry said they were having discussions with the council regarding their plans.

- © Fairfax NZ News