Port Denarau: Retail, Entertainment,
Dining and Commercial Center
Unequaled in the South Pacific
Commercial Centre boosts Fiji Island Real Estate Investment
and Property Values
 Denarau
Island is now a class of its own with the recent opening of the Port
Denarau Retail and Commercial Centre.
Tabua Investments, while developing Denarau a few years ago realised the
need for a commercial centre to provide an upmarket retail opportunity
set in a tourist environment.
Thus, the birth of the centre which cost $45 million to construct.
"The Port Denarau provides the west with Fiji's finest retail and
commercial centre, a place where Fiji's premium brands can be located in
surroundings that are consistent with their brand values and how they
wish to be viewed in the market place," Port Denarau general manager,
Scott Campbell said.
"Commercial entities such as Lateef and Lateef Lawyers, AK Lawyers,
Fraser Clarke and Associates Architects are all thrilled to be involved.
"Major developments such as the Vulani and Taunovo Bay have based their
head offices here as well and we have many major premium brands
interested in basing themselves in the centre.
"This fact, and the fact that we have a retail component that is
unequalled in the county will ensure the west benefits enormously from
the development, providing a wonderful opportunity for Fijians to access
the enormous numbers of western visitors that come through Denarau
Island and, as a result, access to the huge potential these visitors
bring for all manners of business."
Campbell who is also the general manager of real estate company LJ
Hooker, says the new development is expected to increase the cost of
housing-already expensive according to local standards-in the area.
Port Denarau has 32 retail shops and 28 commercial
businesses.
Campbell says the retail component of the facility is almost fully
serviced with the likes of Jewels Fiji, Jack's Handicraft Store, Wai Tui
Surf, Nagindas, Harrisons, Mama's Pizza, Cardos, Hard Rock Café, Esquire
Coffee, NZ Natural Ice Cream and a supermarket-Yee's Express Mart.
It also has a pharmacy, Tappoos Newslink Post Office and a fully
serviced Westpac Bank.
"Port Denarau is quite simply the highest quality retail and commercial
centre Fiji has ever seen.
"The retail and commercial mix is unequalled anywhere in the South
Pacific, making Fiji Island Real Estate a sound investment.
"Its construction and subsequent management signifies a turning point in
how Fiji will be perceived by the many thousands of visitors that
traverse through the Port to the outer island and for those that stay on
Denarau and throughout the West Coast of Fiji. Denarau Island, and its
world class resorts and facilities, will undoubtedly play a part in both
the recovery and long-term viability of the Fiji tourist market,"
Campbell says.
Tourism minister Bernadette Rounds Ganilau says the complex is a boost
to the tourism industry along with Fiji Island Real Estate.
"Often, some people see tourism development as just the construction of
large 300 room hotels.
"However, for the tourism industry to reach its full potential, it is
vital that there be a broad range of developments including not just
large scale hotels, but smaller resorts, resorts in the outlying regions
in Fiji, and equally as important, development of infrastructure that
supports the tourism industry," Ganilau said.
She added that Fiji property developers could take cues from Dubai in
developing tourism by building luxury hotels and also tourism shopping
centres.
Denarau Island is the first hotel development in the country to also
have its own shopping centre.
Ganilau applauded the efforts of Tabua Investments, the major developer
of Denarau Real Estatein not only building the shopping complex but also
for being able to open the Radisson Hotel a few months earlier.
The completion of these two new projects meant tourism was on its way to
recovery, Ganilau said.
Radisson is a 270 room hotel with landscaped gardens, four beaches
surrounding a lagoon style pool, a series of independent pools, a spa
facility, conference facility and restaurants.
It will be managed by Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
It is employing close to 200 locals.
Originally reported on the
Island Business website, 2007.
|
