The UK’s largest outdoor retailer, the Mountain Warehouse, will be the anchor tenant in an 11-metre high, two-storey building being constructed on Sir Tim Wallis Drive at Wānaka’s Three Parks.

The building will house four ground floor retail spaces and three upper floor tenancies, and the Mountain Warehouse will occupy 642.4m2 of the site, facing back towards New World Three Parks.

“All the buildings along Sir Tim Wallis drive are going to be quite significant looking buildings; about two or three stories high. We’re going to make quite a statement with them,” Three Parks developer Allan Dippie (of Willowridge Developments) told the Wānaka App.

And the Mountain Warehouse may not be the only Warehouse coming to Wānaka, Allan hinted.

He said a Kmart is not planned for Three Parks, and added: “But one of their close competitors might be arriving.”

“There’s quite a bit happening, and it’s coming together slowly and steadily,” he said.

Willowridge commercial leasing spokesperson Mark Pittaway said the Mountain Warehouse, which has about 350 stores worldwide, “is showing a lot of faith in New Zealand”.

Allan Dippie said the buildings along Sir Tim Wallis Drive will be “significant looking”.

“This gives us the ability to start the construction of smaller retail units along Sir Tim Wallis Drive. The demand’s there; it’s really exciting times.”

Allan said having New World and Mitre 10 at Three Parks has helped ease the usual Christmas and holiday congestion in Wānaka.

“I’ve noticed particularly this Christmas with Three Parks existing it’s made locals’ life a lot more pleasurable at Christmas.

“I think that’s quite a big change. People used to dread going into town at Christmas. Now you can cruise out there, and the supermarket can cope.”

Allan said the building next to the supermarket which is close to completion will have five tenants, including Henry’s (liquor store) and Bike It Now (bike retail, tour, hire and workshop service).

The resource consent for the Mountain Warehouse building was approved by the Queenstown Lakes District Council in October 2021.

Mountain Warehouse was approached for comment.

IMAGES: Supplied