Meridian Mall, Dunedin facts for kids
The Meridian Mall, Dunedin
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| Location | Dunedin, New Zealand |
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| Coordinates | 45°52′12″S 170°30′18″E / 45.870006°S 170.505103°E |
| Address | 267 George Street |
| Opening date | 1997-09-04 |
| Developer | Arthur Barnett Ltd |
| Management | Prime Retail |
| Owner | Lend Lease Real Estate Partners New Zealand Fund |
| Architect | ASA Crone Architects |
| No. of stores and services | 50 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 |
| No. of floors | 3 |
The Meridian Mall is a big shopping center in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was designed by ASA Crone Architects, a company from Australia. This mall is very large, covering about 16,000 square meters. That makes it the biggest shopping mall in the southern part of the South Island. It is also one of the largest malls in the entire South Island.
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History of Meridian Mall
The Meridian Mall was built between 1995 and 1997. It was constructed behind an older building that belonged to the Arthur Barnett department store. This older building, located on George Street, was designed by Edmund Anscombe and finished in 1924.
Opening and Ownership Changes
The new Meridian Mall opened its doors on September 5, 1997. The total cost to build it was nearly NZ$50 million. Arthur Barnett, the original owner, sold the mall in April 2003 for $52.65 million. This money helped them pay off their debts.
In 2010, a company called Lend Lease Group bought the mall for $185 million. They also bought three other shopping centers at the same time. In October 2011, Lend Lease sold these four shopping centers, including Meridian Mall, to a different fund they managed for $NZ197 million.
What You Can Find Inside Meridian Mall
The Meridian Mall has 50 different shops. These shops are spread out over three levels. On the lowest level, you can find a large food court with many places to eat.
Above the three shopping levels, there is a multi-storey car park. This is a parking garage with many floors. The mall also has offices for Arthur Barnett and a doctor's office.
The Famous "Can't Stop" Sign
On top of the mall, there is a well-known neon sign for Arthur Barnett. It is called Can't Stop. The sign shows a small man trying to control a large horse, which might be a Clydesdale.
This sign was designed by a New Zealand artist named Heber Thompson. It was made for the original 1924 building. The historic neon sign was turned off in May 2016 for maintenance. As of February 2019, it was still not working.
Connecting Malls: Golden Centre and Wall Street
Right next to the Meridian Mall, to the south, is the Golden Centre Mall. This was one of the first shopping malls in Dunedin.
Linking the Shopping Centers
The Golden Centre Mall was renovated and made bigger in 2009. Because of this, the Golden Centre and Meridian Mall became connected inside in November 2009.
Beyond the Golden Centre Mall is the Wall Street Mall. This mall opened on March 21, 2009. Building the Wall Street Mall took a bit longer because workers found an old walkway from the 1850s. This walkway was one of Dunedin's earliest paths.
Now, these three malls – Meridian, Golden Centre, and Wall Street – form one very large shopping area. They cover almost an entire city block and have a total floor area of over 28,000 square meters.
