Auckland Airport has announced four new property deals, which combined with other projects either being constructed or in the pipeline, have generated some A$115 million worth of property development in the Airport Business District over the past 12 months.

These include a 2,000sqm food innovation centre with New Zealand-based Food Innovation Manukau to develop and test products for commercialisation in the consumer goods market, a training facility for travel careers and training to be located in the Quad precinct of the Airport Business District, close to the previously-announced Formule 1 hotel development.

Also confirmed is a commercial office building of approximately 4,900sqm lettable space located within the Quad precinct, which will be designed by Jasmax Architects. 3100sqm of this area will be office and commercial space available for occupation in March 2012, with a further 1,800sqm reserved for some of Auckland Airport's corporate office requirements.

The fourth of the projects confirmed last week is a 3,600sqm office and warehouse facility for DSV Air & Sea Limited in The Landing precinct. DSV is today a multi-national warehousing, transportation and freight forwarding company.

Chief executive Simon Moutter said, "The four new deals confirmed total $29 million in value and have taken us well over the $100 million mark in activity. That puts the Airport Business District amongst the most intensive commercial property development programmes in New Zealand, and Auckland Airport as one of the most active commercial property developers, a feat all the more impressive given the challenging operating conditions that the industry has experienced recently."

These four new developments accompany other recent Auckland Airport developments, including two new hotels, a Novotel and a Formule 1, a deal to relocate the Mercedes parts warehouse into a 2,900sqm office/warehouse facility in the Landing precinct of the Airport Business District, and a 2,200sqm office building pre-leased to a government tenant, due for completion in July 2010.

By Oliver Clark