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Westfield Albany is a new shopping centre of the Westfield Group in Albany, New Zealand, opposite the Albany Lakes Civic Park. Once the last sections opened in April 2008, at 7 ha (70,000 m²) of indoor space (4.9 ha retail (m² ) and 2.1 ha (m² ) offices), and costing around NZ$ 210 million to construct.〔 The Base, as at July 2010, NZ's second largest shopping centre at 61,000m2 will surpass Westfield Albany when the ground level of the Te Awa mall development is completed in 2011, being 75,000m2, New Zealand's first super regional centre. Westfield Albany provides over 2,000 carparks for around 150 specialty stores, as well as a large-format 2 floor 10,000 m² Farmers, a Kmart and a New World, and also contains an Event Cinemas multiplex cinema and a 560-seat food court which includes major fastfood franchises.〔〔(Westfield Agreements Mark Milestone In Development of Albany Town Centre ) (from the Westfield NZ website, 28 September 2006)〕 The centre has been estimated to have provided over 1,000 jobs during construction, and over 1,500 once in operation.〔 == History and Development == The centre is Westfield's first totally new mall since entering the New Zealand market in the mid-90s. When first mooted in 2003, it was conceived as a much smaller centre, with only 20,000 sqm planned for initially, and a comparatively small later expansion of 15,000 sqm mooted for a decade later. Westfield is already planning a large further expansion of the centre. Some experts see demand for about twice the size of the current centre in retail and associated office space in the wider Albany area.〔 However, Westfield itself has in the past put in submissions against a District Plan plan change in the area, contending that it allowed for "excessive retail provision in the Albany area" (in a northern 'mainstreet' area separate from the core where Westfield and a number of other retailers have their sites). The challenge was rejected by the Environment Court. The concept of the Albany mall is considered a (somewhat reluctant) new approach by Westfield, which has previously been accused of disregarding the outside effects of its malls, and of maximising commercial opportunities at the cost of the surrounding communities. Spurred by criticism as well as Council plans to develop a 'town centre' instead of simply providing retail areas, Westfield changed its standard greenfields-type plans for the new site, and developed a more open centre with 'main street' elements and some public areas.〔''(Significant change in Westfield thinking )'' - ''The Bob Dey Property Report'', Monday 18 July 2005. Retrieved 2007-09-20.〕 The change is considered a significant step away from the inward-looking shopping centres built in New Zealand in the 1990s, and North Shore Council hopes that the centre will integrate with the future growth in Albany rather than be a shopping destination alone. Westfield Albany Stage One opened on 30 August 2007, with 65 shops trading. The rest of the shops opened on 1 November 2007 after a main opening ceremony attended by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Westfield Group Managing Director Steven Lowy,〔(Westfield Opens NZ$210 Million Westfield Albany ) (from a Westfield Group press release, 2007-11-01. Accessed 2008-03-29.)〕 while the 10-screen cinemas' opening was delayed to April 2008.〔''(Westfield opens Albany centre )'' - ''The Bob Dey Property Report'', Thursday 31 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-20.〕 In July 2008, the cinemas of the centre were closed preventively by Skycity cinemas due to weathertightness reasons. Problems with the roof had already caused a single cinema to be shut a month earlier. The cinemas were reopened about a week later. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Westfield Albany」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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