At least half a dozen Wānaka businesses have recently made the move from the Wānaka CBD to the fast-growing Three Parks development and many more are likely to follow, changing the face of the town.  

Ray White Wānaka franchise owners Duncan and Kelly Good and their team have recently transferred into the new McLaren House, which occupies a corner off Sir Tim Wallis Drive.  

Duncan said their former premises on Helwick Street were cramped, with staff having to be split up to occupy two neighbouring premises, and they had only a very small area for auctions.

“Gone are the days when real estate agencies rely on foot traffic, and some people didn't even know where our office was,” he said.

Duncan in Ray White’s new, roomier auction room. He predicts more offices and businesses providing services will move out to Three Parks. PHOTO: Supplied

The Goods bought the land for McLaren House two years ago when they decided they wanted all of their team under the one roof. 

Investment company Milford Asset Management, which previously operated from Pembroke Mall, is moving into the upstairs tenancy in McLaren House in the coming weeks.

Among the other departees to Three Parks from Wānaka's CBD is Soul Clothing, a former neighbour of Ray White in Helwick Street, which is just one door down from barber shop Ali Barbers, which has also made the move out of the CBD.

An early shift to Three Parks was the Salvation Army Family Store, which moved there from a prime corner spot on Helwick and Brownston.

Crombie Lockwood, now re-branded as Gallagher Insurance NZ, recently shifted to Three Parks too, from Frederick Street, and NZ Fine Touring Group is also on its way to Three Parks from Brownston Street. 

“So there are already half a dozen from downtown Wānaka here,” Duncan said.

Shops including Soul Clothing and Ali Barbers have relocated to the new Three Parks development. PHOTO: Wānaka App

He said he knew of several additional firms planning the same move.

Three Parks developer Allan Dippie said the development had been carefully designed so as not to end up like the “fragmented” out-of-town shopping centres near Queenstown.

“We wanted it to be complementary to the village, giving careful consideration, and the school and the rec centre are a part of all this.”

“We’ve had to turn down those who we see as not suitable - the likes of heavy industry included,” he said.

Allan pointed out that Three Parks is close to town, and he said once the walkway and cycleway connecting different parts of Wānaka were completed, ease of access would improve further.

Duncan’s prediction is that more and more professional offices and service suppliers would move out of the CBD and into Three Parks, and their tenancies would be filled by boutique retail and hospitality operations.

“It says a lot for the talk about the pedestrianisation of Helwick Street,” he said. “Plus, the square metre rates in the town have spiked considerably.”