The Bethlehem Town Centre redevelopment project, which is due to be completed early next year, includes a refreshed and reconfigured centre with new retail offerings.

The construction activity comes five months after Kmart’s announcement as its new anchor tenant.

Bethlehem Town centre manager, Andrew Wadsworth of Colliers International, says having Kmart in the product offering made the shopping centre even more attractive to retail operators and shoppers.

“Nine shops will be constructed along the front of the Kmart store to create a food precinct.  Some of these retailers are new to the Bay of Plenty, endorsing the appeal of the rapidly expanding catchment,” adds Wadsworth.

Wadsworth says the latest redevelopment also involves a new roading network allowing for better traffic flow.

“This includes construction of roundabouts, the demolition and reconfiguration of some stores as well as the relocation of trees and the playground.  The bulk of the roading project is planned for completion before Christmas.”

The first stage, involving the construction of a roundabout between the Countdown Car Park and playground, will get under way this month. The road reconfiguration, including the area currently occupied by the playground, will follow next month.

“We will be working very closely to support our tenants and customers through this project. The whole project will be carefully managed to mitigate any inconvenience,” explains Wadsworth.

“Our priority is to ensure we maintain safe access to and around the centre while continuing to provide a quality shopping environment.

“Retailers realise the redevelopment will be great for business, and we anticipate attracting greater numbers due to the expansion of our product offering.”

Wadsworth says the Bethlehem Shopping Centre has evolved markedly since the original anchor tenant Countdown opened in December 2003. The remainder of the centre opened in 2007.