The first tenancy in the new Mount Central development goes to market this weekend – and it's not just big traders being encouraged to throw their hats into the ring.

The first part of the Maunganui Road site to go to the market is 400m2 section facing Banks Avenue.

An artist's impression of the new gateway to downtown Mount Maunganui. Photo: Supplied.

'It's not exclusively for a national tenant,” says Colliers International's Tauranga commercial sales and leasing agent Duncan Woodhouse.

'We will be going to all the national data bases through Colliers' network spreading it far and wide, but also we want local businesses to put their foot forward as well, if they are interested.”

One alternative to housing one major tenant would be a consortium of local businesses who see the lease as an opportunity to break into downtown Mount.

'They could put a number of tenancies together with a market theme,” says Duncan.

'There's a cluster of those local businesses that have already expressed interest and are looking at the 400m2.

'It's going to be interesting to see. That's why we haven't put any parameters on this section. We want expressions of interest to see what tenants are out there.

'I'm quite excited about it. It's about time we had some buildings built down at the Mount that weren't apartments.”

The site plan is for two buildings facing both Maunganui Road and Banks Avenue, with a sheltered atrium on the corner. There will be 50 car parking spaces at the rear.

'The density of the site isn't actually changing that much,” he explains, 'but we are bringing it out from the back right onto the corner, and that atrium creates some connectivity.

'It's going to create a gateway. When all of those people come off the cruise ships and walk down Salisbury Avenue towards the shopping precinct, this is going to be the building they look at.

'It is going to be the gateway to mount Maunganui, and the owner, Richard Seton, wants it to reflect well on all the travellers.”

'He actually wants to add something to the Mount. This is a rarity. It has actually been a pleasure to work on this project with Graham Price from First Principles and Richard Seton.

'We haven't had any large format tenancies available down at the Mount since Winz left. It's been a long time coming for another new development.”

The current leases expire over Easter 2016, and investor and sometime Mount Maunganui resident Richard Seton has owned the site for a few years.

'He's just trying to future proof the site by putting a modern development on it, but not over-capitalising and putting up apartments and losing control over it,” says Duncan.

They are trying to incorporate the Mount beachside character by developing a single-level building at different heights built with modern materials.

'We are creating something that's got a bit of ‘wow' factor,” adds Duncan. 'That generates foot traffic within the new shopping development. At the moment, in a retail sense, everything stops at Burger King.”

A couple of the existing tenants have already expressed interest.

'They are the ones best positioned to put their foot forward as a tenancy. They know what the site's potential is, and that will only be expanded by putting in a building that's looking fairly sexy.”