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The Mall, east end of Main Street (Maidstone Mall / The Mall / Logan Plaza, etc.).
History
HistoryThe Mall was originally associated with James Smiths, a Wellington department store.
James Smith's and Maidstone Developments announced the 3m development in the September 20, 1972 'Leader'; the architect's drawing showed an eight-story tower block at the western end of the 250-foot Main Street frontage. Figures given included 143 000 square feet of shopping (40 000 for James Smiths,18 000 for a supermarket, 30-40 shops, and parking for about 160 cars; the council would provide off-street parking for another 325. A mirror image of an interior was also printed.
An August 1, 1973 article mentioned that the cinema would be the first to open in the Wellington area in 12 years; it would seat around 300, and cover 5000 square feet (465 square metres) on the first floor.
A June 29, 1974 article pictured the frontage, and listed 160 000 square feet total, 40 000 of department store, 18 000 supermarket, 40 specialty shops and off-street parking for 500 cars.
When it opened in October 1974 it was named Maidstone Mall; it had a main entrance and an emergency exit on Main Street, and the Queen Street side was set back by 10-15 metres, with an external spiral staircase allowing the cinema to operate while the shops were closed.
The Fletcher Trust and Investment Company took over management in September 1976 from Maidstone Developments, which had recently become a wholly-owned subsidiary of James Smith Ltd, a Wellington department store.
The April 8, 1980 'Leader' advertisement listed the 32 stores under its one roof.
The owner of this ad other malls in 1981 was Fletcher Trust. In July, manager Gavin Thorley who had run in the 5000 and 10 000 metres in the Munich Olympics moved to Downtown, Auckland after almost three years, and was succeeded by a Mr King of Upper Hutt.
In October 1988 it was revealed that Maidstone Mall was for sale by its owners, AMP; it was one of the smallest of the 100 properties they owned, which were generally valued at over $50 million. Foodtown denied that they had bought it. The same issue printed a photograph of Murray Hunt, chairman of the promotion committee with one of three fourteenth-birthday cake; $279 was raised for Te Omanga Hospice by customers' donations in exchange for samples.
Maidstone Mall and the Woolworths building were offered for sale by AMP for sale by auction late in 1990, but were passed in; Challenge properties announced that after 15 years' association, they would be transferring management to the head leaseholder, Mace Development Corporation, from July 1, 1991.
When Mace took over, there were 15 vacant shops; they announced a food court on September 3 (it opened in mid-December), but they could not yet name other newcomers. They were also able to advertise that fir the first time there had been an increase in foot traffic for the first time in 13 months; from July 1 to August 25: 418 984; an increase of 15.1% over the same period in 1990 July had been up 3.18%, and August up to the 25th was up 27%.
On October 1, 1991 Andrew Dewhurst advertised 'Got something to sell this Christmas but nowhere to sell it?' and offered space for long-, short- or casual-term leasing.
The New World supermarket closed on Easter Thursday, April 16, 1992, and was replaced on June 30 by a Write Price food barn, owned by the same Foodstuffs cooperative; it was announced in a full-page advertisement on June 2; also featured were a questionnaire on Sunday trading, and an advertisement and a forthcoming seminar for prospective tenants. Write Price closed in March 1993; competition from Woolworths and Pak'n Save had been too much.
James Smiths had occupied two floors in the south-east corner; they closed in March 1993, and part of the Farmers Trading Company's Upper Hutt operation moved in.
Owners AMP scheduled the Mall for auction for auction on May 13, 1993. It was passed in, but three offers were received later, and the sale was to be finalised on August 27.
The Warehouse moved from Queen Street to the mall in October 1993, opening on Wednesday the 28th, occupying (and later expanding)the northwest corner formerly used by the New World and then the Write Price supermarkets.
An October 1994 picture showed the winner of a logo competition with her suggestion; the wording was 'The MALL' with a block at left with a stylised fantail's tail-feathers; 'The' was tilted, in a script style; the Mall word, in straight lines with rounded ends, was pyramid-shaped. The lady was pictured with Bruce Waller, national retail manager for Centre Corporation, which was the mall's manager at the time.
A major tenant was the Farmers Trading Company, which moved into two levels in November 1994
LanChris Holdings (Lance and Christine Cottam), of Christchurch, acquired the Mall in February 1995. In November their chairman, Lance Cottam announced new tenants and a multiplex cinema (however, the cinema which closed in 2002 was still a 400-seat with a single screen).
The Warehouse was mentioned as a potential anchor retailer in a June 2002 Hames Sharley plan for the north-west corner of a 350-metre shopping area between Main Queen and King streets and Pine Avenue. In an October 16, 2002 article Lance Cottam saw that position as a long shot; 10 properties were involved. The Warehouse was seeking more space and its current lease would end in July; they were looking for more space. The article mentioned the car parking next to the current Warehouse space; it was jointly owned by the council.
The logo in use in 2013 used a similar font for 'THE MALL', again in a pyramidal shape, but without the 'fantail' feature, contact details, and opening hours.
Owner Lance Cottam announced a new name,'Logan Plaza' at the beginning of November, 1997. The new name and logo were formally announced on December 3 in a four-page advertising feature. In conjunction with the city council, car parking had been increased to over 600; a five-screen cinema would be built; the food court was being upgraded, and the adjacent Maidstone Arcade had been bought, allowing The Warehouse to expand from 1730 to 3050 square metres In the same issue, a letter writer complained of the state of the men's toilets, and suggested that priorities were wrong.
July 29; the Warehouse had expanded forward to Main Street, where the Maidstone Arcade had been. The article described the direction as east; it was actually south. There was no street entrance provided.
In September 1999 it was announced that the New Zealand Post shop in Geange Street would close and combine with London Bookshops, probably in Logan Plaza (they did, as Books and More), with post boxes facing Main Street; the shop opened on April 3, 2000.
The cinema closed early in 2002.
At the Queen Street side, there was an external tower containing a spiral staircase, which had allowed the cinema to operate independently at night. It was first described in May 2003, in an article which also criticised the Mall's toilets.
When Colin Gibbs became one of the owners, the name 'Trentham City Shopping Centre' was adopted. This name was widely criticised by locals, as evidenced by correspondence on the subject in the Upper Hutt Leader.
The May 14, 2003 'Leader' reported recent criticism of the toilets; but they were in an area where an expanded Warehouse might be built.
The October 29, 2003 'Leader' pictured Lance Cottam, the buildings' new owner, with plans for a $15m expansion, including pedestrian access from Logan Street; an expanded Warehouse would account for $5.5m.
Later again, new owners decided on a simple and well-known former name: 'The Mall'.
Kerry Robins opened a Majestic Theatre on June 26 in the mothballed Maidstone Theatre, using seating and projection equipment from Wellington's Embassy, which had been upgraded for the 'Lord of the Rings'.
The staircase was removed on May 21, 2004 to make way for The Warehouse's extension over the Queen Street car-park; a 'Leader' picture described difficulties with lifting it. By the end of 2004, a large part of the Warehouse roof was in place, and the City Plaza buildings behind Main Street had been demolished so that the Mall could be extended to Logan Street.
The January 26, 2005 'Leader announced a proposal to extend the Mall along Queen Street, almost as far as Hazelwoods.
The new Warehouse area opened on May 12, 2005.
The city council bought land opposite the Mall's western entrance, including a block of three shops; these would be demolished and the area landscaped.
In 2006 Colin Gibbs took part ownership and reportedly invested $27m in a $60m development; Cottam put in $6m and South Canterbury Finance $27m. The new name was Trentham City Mall.
2007; Australian Pelorus Property took a 40% stake in Trentham City Investments which bought the mall for $45m; the new Australian manager used 'The Mall'.
In 2012 Trentham City Investments went into receivership; Andrew Budge bought it in a mortgagee sale for $18m; the properties covered over 2.5 hectares, and in addition to the mall included the former Hazelwoods buildings and more than 300 car parks.
On March 18, 2015, Andrew Budge placed a full-page advertisement in the 'Leader'. The advertisement included two pictures, showing what was probably the Logan Street car-park area; there were no explanatory captions. He was expecting an Australian operator to open an 1100-square-metre store in July, there were five letters of intent from other retailers, and a new operator would reopen the Ascot cinemas, which had briefly reopened in 2014. There were follow-up articles in the 'Dominion Post' and 'Leader' on March 21 and 25; the project relied on a grant from the city council's reinvigoration fund, which was conditional on either $20m of development and/or creation of 75 new jobs.
The June 30 'Leader' announced that Lincraft, an Australian retailer with 75 stores there and three in the South Island, would be moving into a new 1000-square-metre ground-floor store in what had been an open space; a pedestrian ramp would be replaced by a lift.
James Smith's and Maidstone Developments announced the 3m development in the September 20, 1972 'Leader'; the architect's drawing showed an eight-story tower block at the western end of the 250-foot Main Street frontage. Figures given included 143 000 square feet of shopping (40 000 for James Smiths,18 000 for a supermarket, 30-40 shops, and parking for about 160 cars; the council would provide off-street parking for another 325. A mirror image of an interior was also printed.
An August 1, 1973 article mentioned that the cinema would be the first to open in the Wellington area in 12 years; it would seat around 300, and cover 5000 square feet (465 square metres) on the first floor.
A June 29, 1974 article pictured the frontage, and listed 160 000 square feet total, 40 000 of department store, 18 000 supermarket, 40 specialty shops and off-street parking for 500 cars.
When it opened in October 1974 it was named Maidstone Mall; it had a main entrance and an emergency exit on Main Street, and the Queen Street side was set back by 10-15 metres, with an external spiral staircase allowing the cinema to operate while the shops were closed.
The Fletcher Trust and Investment Company took over management in September 1976 from Maidstone Developments, which had recently become a wholly-owned subsidiary of James Smith Ltd, a Wellington department store.
The April 8, 1980 'Leader' advertisement listed the 32 stores under its one roof.
The owner of this ad other malls in 1981 was Fletcher Trust. In July, manager Gavin Thorley who had run in the 5000 and 10 000 metres in the Munich Olympics moved to Downtown, Auckland after almost three years, and was succeeded by a Mr King of Upper Hutt.
In October 1988 it was revealed that Maidstone Mall was for sale by its owners, AMP; it was one of the smallest of the 100 properties they owned, which were generally valued at over $50 million. Foodtown denied that they had bought it. The same issue printed a photograph of Murray Hunt, chairman of the promotion committee with one of three fourteenth-birthday cake; $279 was raised for Te Omanga Hospice by customers' donations in exchange for samples.
Maidstone Mall and the Woolworths building were offered for sale by AMP for sale by auction late in 1990, but were passed in; Challenge properties announced that after 15 years' association, they would be transferring management to the head leaseholder, Mace Development Corporation, from July 1, 1991.
When Mace took over, there were 15 vacant shops; they announced a food court on September 3 (it opened in mid-December), but they could not yet name other newcomers. They were also able to advertise that fir the first time there had been an increase in foot traffic for the first time in 13 months; from July 1 to August 25: 418 984; an increase of 15.1% over the same period in 1990 July had been up 3.18%, and August up to the 25th was up 27%.
On October 1, 1991 Andrew Dewhurst advertised 'Got something to sell this Christmas but nowhere to sell it?' and offered space for long-, short- or casual-term leasing.
The New World supermarket closed on Easter Thursday, April 16, 1992, and was replaced on June 30 by a Write Price food barn, owned by the same Foodstuffs cooperative; it was announced in a full-page advertisement on June 2; also featured were a questionnaire on Sunday trading, and an advertisement and a forthcoming seminar for prospective tenants. Write Price closed in March 1993; competition from Woolworths and Pak'n Save had been too much.
James Smiths had occupied two floors in the south-east corner; they closed in March 1993, and part of the Farmers Trading Company's Upper Hutt operation moved in.
Owners AMP scheduled the Mall for auction for auction on May 13, 1993. It was passed in, but three offers were received later, and the sale was to be finalised on August 27.
The Warehouse moved from Queen Street to the mall in October 1993, opening on Wednesday the 28th, occupying (and later expanding)the northwest corner formerly used by the New World and then the Write Price supermarkets.
An October 1994 picture showed the winner of a logo competition with her suggestion; the wording was 'The MALL' with a block at left with a stylised fantail's tail-feathers; 'The' was tilted, in a script style; the Mall word, in straight lines with rounded ends, was pyramid-shaped. The lady was pictured with Bruce Waller, national retail manager for Centre Corporation, which was the mall's manager at the time.
A major tenant was the Farmers Trading Company, which moved into two levels in November 1994
LanChris Holdings (Lance and Christine Cottam), of Christchurch, acquired the Mall in February 1995. In November their chairman, Lance Cottam announced new tenants and a multiplex cinema (however, the cinema which closed in 2002 was still a 400-seat with a single screen).
The Warehouse was mentioned as a potential anchor retailer in a June 2002 Hames Sharley plan for the north-west corner of a 350-metre shopping area between Main Queen and King streets and Pine Avenue. In an October 16, 2002 article Lance Cottam saw that position as a long shot; 10 properties were involved. The Warehouse was seeking more space and its current lease would end in July; they were looking for more space. The article mentioned the car parking next to the current Warehouse space; it was jointly owned by the council.
The logo in use in 2013 used a similar font for 'THE MALL', again in a pyramidal shape, but without the 'fantail' feature, contact details, and opening hours.
Owner Lance Cottam announced a new name,'Logan Plaza' at the beginning of November, 1997. The new name and logo were formally announced on December 3 in a four-page advertising feature. In conjunction with the city council, car parking had been increased to over 600; a five-screen cinema would be built; the food court was being upgraded, and the adjacent Maidstone Arcade had been bought, allowing The Warehouse to expand from 1730 to 3050 square metres In the same issue, a letter writer complained of the state of the men's toilets, and suggested that priorities were wrong.
July 29; the Warehouse had expanded forward to Main Street, where the Maidstone Arcade had been. The article described the direction as east; it was actually south. There was no street entrance provided.
In September 1999 it was announced that the New Zealand Post shop in Geange Street would close and combine with London Bookshops, probably in Logan Plaza (they did, as Books and More), with post boxes facing Main Street; the shop opened on April 3, 2000.
The cinema closed early in 2002.
At the Queen Street side, there was an external tower containing a spiral staircase, which had allowed the cinema to operate independently at night. It was first described in May 2003, in an article which also criticised the Mall's toilets.
When Colin Gibbs became one of the owners, the name 'Trentham City Shopping Centre' was adopted. This name was widely criticised by locals, as evidenced by correspondence on the subject in the Upper Hutt Leader.
The May 14, 2003 'Leader' reported recent criticism of the toilets; but they were in an area where an expanded Warehouse might be built.
The October 29, 2003 'Leader' pictured Lance Cottam, the buildings' new owner, with plans for a $15m expansion, including pedestrian access from Logan Street; an expanded Warehouse would account for $5.5m.
Later again, new owners decided on a simple and well-known former name: 'The Mall'.
Kerry Robins opened a Majestic Theatre on June 26 in the mothballed Maidstone Theatre, using seating and projection equipment from Wellington's Embassy, which had been upgraded for the 'Lord of the Rings'.
The staircase was removed on May 21, 2004 to make way for The Warehouse's extension over the Queen Street car-park; a 'Leader' picture described difficulties with lifting it. By the end of 2004, a large part of the Warehouse roof was in place, and the City Plaza buildings behind Main Street had been demolished so that the Mall could be extended to Logan Street.
The January 26, 2005 'Leader announced a proposal to extend the Mall along Queen Street, almost as far as Hazelwoods.
The new Warehouse area opened on May 12, 2005.
The city council bought land opposite the Mall's western entrance, including a block of three shops; these would be demolished and the area landscaped.
In 2006 Colin Gibbs took part ownership and reportedly invested $27m in a $60m development; Cottam put in $6m and South Canterbury Finance $27m. The new name was Trentham City Mall.
2007; Australian Pelorus Property took a 40% stake in Trentham City Investments which bought the mall for $45m; the new Australian manager used 'The Mall'.
In 2012 Trentham City Investments went into receivership; Andrew Budge bought it in a mortgagee sale for $18m; the properties covered over 2.5 hectares, and in addition to the mall included the former Hazelwoods buildings and more than 300 car parks.
On March 18, 2015, Andrew Budge placed a full-page advertisement in the 'Leader'. The advertisement included two pictures, showing what was probably the Logan Street car-park area; there were no explanatory captions. He was expecting an Australian operator to open an 1100-square-metre store in July, there were five letters of intent from other retailers, and a new operator would reopen the Ascot cinemas, which had briefly reopened in 2014. There were follow-up articles in the 'Dominion Post' and 'Leader' on March 21 and 25; the project relied on a grant from the city council's reinvigoration fund, which was conditional on either $20m of development and/or creation of 75 new jobs.
The June 30 'Leader' announced that Lincraft, an Australian retailer with 75 stores there and three in the South Island, would be moving into a new 1000-square-metre ground-floor store in what had been an open space; a pedestrian ramp would be replaced by a lift.
Location
DescriptionEnclosed shopping mall with frontages on Main, Queen and Logan streets; 17 000 square metres of retail space over two floors. The biggest tenants in 2015 were the Farmers and The Warehouse; there were 40 other smaller shops.
Details
EstablishedOctober 1974
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Upper Hutt City Library (15th Jun 2017). The Mall, east end of Main Street (Maidstone Mall / The Mall / Logan Plaza, etc.).. In Website Upper Hutt City Library. Retrieved 22nd Jan 2021 06:58, from https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/21847