Leamington project developer Nigel Brassington and
wife Kamilya.
The Leamington commercial district is getting another boost, with a new 400m2 building behind the Four Square on Campbell St nearing completion. Divided into six shops for now, the internal walls can be reconfigured to hold between three and six shops depending on the needs of tenants, according to Nigel Brassington, the project’s developer.
“We are keen to attract tenants that complement each other,” Nigel said, explaining that it is a matter of getting the right mix of businesses that will also not detract from those in the existing front shops. “And we turned down a liquor store and a vape shop, because we want to add to the community – there are enough liquor stores in the vicinity already.”
Nigel and wife Kamilya bought the property back in March 2014, and always had a view that it would be ideal for development. The building that houses the Four Square, Jumble Around and takeaway joints is owned by Nigel and another landlord, with a party wall agreement separating them.
“It looks like the same building but must have been built in two lots,” Nigel explained. So Nigel and Kamilya bought the part of the building that houses Jumble Around and the roast shop, and the house on Campbell St behind. Fast forward four years and resource consent for the new building was granted in March this year, and building consent in October, meaning work could get underway. “I got to the point that if I didn’t start doing it, it wasn’t going to happen,” Nigel said.
The council have been “really good” to work with, Nigel added, as they had to apply for resource consent to build the shops up to the boundary because the property was not zoned ‘pedestrian frontage’. The Brassingtons hope that the new development will add value to the Leamington community, and “keep people on that side of the river” with services that people just want to pop down the road for, without the hassle of crossing the bridge into the CBD.
The couple are adamant that they are in it for the long haul, which makes getting the right fit of tenants even more important. “We don’t consider ourselves as developers…we are investors, so we will be keeping it in the long term,” Nigel explained. Kamilya agreed, adding that so much good energy has gone into the building, with local services used in the construction wherever possible. And that included the neighbour over the road who popped in at just the right time with a business card for the concrete firm he works for – perfect timing and another way the Brassingtons could keep it local.
The building is expected to be fully tenanted in March or April of next year, adding another string to Leamington’s bow.
