The Plaza Shopping Centre facts for kids
| Location | Palmerston North, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°21′25″S 175°36′47″E / 40.35696°S 175.613019°E |
| Opening date | 1986 |
| Owner | Kiwi Property |
| No. of stores and services | 100+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 32,000 m2 (340,000 sq ft) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Parking | 1200 Parking Spaces |
| Website | http://www.theplaza.co.nz/ |
The Plaza Shopping Centre is a big shopping mall in the middle of Palmerston North, New Zealand. It is owned by a company called Kiwi Property. The Plaza is the largest shopping mall in the Manawatu region.
History of The Plaza
The mall first opened its doors in 1986. Back then, it was known as the PDC Plaza. It was built around a large shop called the Premier Drapery Company (PDC). This shop was a major department store in Palmerston North. It was owned by a group called the Manawatu Co-Operative Society.
The idea was to create a shopping mall because more people were choosing malls over single big department stores. However, the PDC shop faced problems and closed down in 1988. The mall and the shop were then sold. The old PDC department store building was taken down in 1990. This made space for the mall to become even bigger.
Growing Bigger: Mall Redevelopment
When it first opened, the mall was about 19,700 m2 (212,000 sq ft) in size. From 2008 to 2010, The Plaza went through a big update and expansion. The goal was to make the existing areas look new and to add more space. The mall grew to 32,000 m2 (340,000 sq ft).
This big project happened in three main steps:
- Step 1: In March 2009, a new food court opened. This is a place where you can find many different food shops. A new multi-level carpark was also added. Plus, 15 new specialty stores opened their doors.
- Step 2: In September 2009, ten more specialty stores were added to the mall.
- Step 3: The final step happened in March 2010. This was the biggest part of the expansion. It added 32 more specialty stores. A large, two-storey Farmers department store, about 7,200 m2 (78,000 sq ft), also opened. Another multi-level carpark was built to help with parking.
