The Nelson Junction retail development is gaining momentum with seven national brand retailers currently in the final stages of commercial negotiations with the Colliers International Nelson office.

Retailers are predominantly from the homewares and lifestyle categories.

They represent the take up of the majority of the stage one and two available space, which is almost half of the total 18,000sqm. Stage three space is also attracting strong interest.

Current tenants on the site are Mitre 10 MEGA and Speights Ale House.

The owner and developer of Nelson Junction is AMP Capital Property Portfolio.

Located on State Highway six midway between Nelson and Richmond, Nelson Junction will offer 30,000sqm of retail.

Mitre 10 MEGA, a tenant of eight years, is also extending its existing garden centre with an 850sqm expansion.

“Nelsonians are pretty keen on gardening, our garden centre was already one of biggest in the Mitre 10 MEGA network and this expansion has seen it become the biggest in the country,” Dave Richards, Mitre 10 MEGA Nelson GM, said.

Geoff Faulkner, Collier’s International Nelson office broker, said it’s fantastic to see significant national retail operators enter the Nelson region.

“Nelson and Richmond residents will finally be able to conveniently purchase furniture and homewares without having to consider heading to Christchurch, as the data suggest so many do currently.”

The resource consent and the stage one building consent are already in place, with earthworks on the staged development expected to start by the end of 2014.