The first phase of the Newtown Quarter is finished; once the project is complete it will house home and building industry retail outlets.

The roof of the first storey offices, to be taken by Katheer Developments

ANOTHER development is pushing the western edge of Newtown towards respectability - the first phase of the construction of the Newtown Quarter is complete.

Property developer and quantity surveyor Riaz Koor of Katheer Developments says the wetworks - the bricklaying and plastering - of Newtown Quarter, on the corner of Bree and Quinn streets, is complete. He is waiting to finalise the mix of tenants before starting on the final phase of development.

"I have had a lot of inquiries, mostly from design people," he says.

Whereas two new residential spaces immediately behind his development, one already complete and occupied, another taking shape in the grain silos, are defining the immediate area, the Newtown Quarter will house home and building industry retail outlets.

Entrance will be from Bree Street, and customers will enter via a courtyard, which will contain a restaurant and coffee shop, with newly planted trees and seating creating a relaxed atmosphere, says Koor.

Décor shops
Décor shops will sit alongside building supply shops. Previously the whole space was taken by a factory, Hardware Industries. It has been subdivided and retail space of between 75m² and 200m² will be available. Katheer Developments will take office space on the first level. In all, there'll be office space for four companies, on the upper level, plus 15 retail and warehouse outlets on the ground level.

Newtown Quarter, on the corner of Bree and Quinn streets

"Residential space doesn't make sense," he says, "there is a need for good commercial space here."

Koor says he bought the building, which dates back to the 1920s, two or three years ago, and is aware of its heritage value. He is retaining the façade with its attractive gables and porthole windows.

His company will take the corner office space, looking out to the CBD skyline through the gable. "This is a labour of love - I want to take something and do it properly," he says. Although the building has been stripped of all its old features, a solitary sash window remains, which he will restore.

Work started on the project earlier this year, and he expects it to be complete towards the end of this year, or early next year.

The first segment of development in the area was a six-storey office block called The Mills, on the corner of Carr and Quinn streets, completed in December 2004. It provides space for around 15 tenants. Urban Solutions, the developer, originally bought a set of four buildings from Premier Milling, which moved out of Newtown. It subsequently revamped another office block in Quinn Street, turning it into residential space - The Newtown consists of 37 loft apartments, opened in March 2007.

In 2007 developer Paul Seggie bought the 10 silos in Quinn Street from Urban Solutions, and is converting them into 19 apartments, all with views of the CBD skyline.

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