Remarkables Park

The vision for the Remarkables Park development was to create a twin town centre for Queenstown. The topography of the existing downtown, bounded by the mountains and lake, placed limits on further development of the commercial centre. Visitors to Remarkables Park experience shopping in one of the most scenic landscapes in New Zealand. The principal developers, Alastair, John and Neville Porter, of Porter Group, have Otago family roots going back to 1863. Much of the land was purchased in 1988 and the Porters acquired the balance of the land in 1997. The total area now zoned as the Remarkables Park Zone comprises approximately 150 hectares. Ironically, land in this vicinity had been identified by surveyors in the 1860s as the preferred place to build Queenstown. The vision the Porter's have for this development is in anyone's language huge. “The Remarkables Park Zone provides for a wide range of uses enabling development of a twin town centre for Queenstown. Remarkables Park complements what is established downtown.” Says Remarkables Park Limited's director, Alastair Porter. “Rather than have commercial development growing in an ad-hoc fashion, the size of our site and underlying mixed-use zone means we've been able to take a fully integrated approach and produce a strategic master plan for the whole development.” The development will include everything you would expect to find in a comprehensive mixed use zone; entertainment, shopping, Quayside Village, high density residential and a range of accommodation options for some 12,500 residents and tourists. To achieve the results that were in accord with the Porter's vision, they retained the expertise of urban design master planner Eldon Beck. Beck who has the distinction of designing many highly successful international resort villages, including Whistler, British Columbia. Beck is one of a number of highly experienced international specialists that have consulted with the Porter's in refining the Remarkables Park Master Plan. Porter says “It was invaluable to learn from international experience. We have been able to build on the features of the successful overseas resort villages and transfer them into our master plan. It also means that we are mindful of the challenges that resort communities face and can accommodate workable solutions in the planning stage.” Today many of New Zealand's major players in retail and support businesses have recognised the potential of Remarkables Park. Those who have already established their businesses report very positive results. The latest building to be completed at Remarkables Park is simply known as Building 7. The building is designed by architects Mason and Wales who have a long association with the development and the requirements of the local authorities. Building 7 completes the mid quadrant of the Shopping Centre precinct. It reflects Central Otago architectural design with a contemporary flair. The convenient store front parking, colourful landscaping and sunny orientation are important facets of this very successful shopping destination. Local materials, which enjoy iconic status in the Queenstown area, including schist stone and iron work, are interlaced with a unique colour palette providing a striking, varied and individual appearance. The COLORSTEEL® Ironsand and COLORSTEEL® Lichen T-Rib roofing and flashings were manufactured locally by Metalcraft, Cromwell, saving time and transport costs. The T-Rib and 800m2 of butynol was installed by local Metalcraft contractors. The half round spouting, rainheads and down pipes in copper and stainless steel used on Building 7 were also installed by Metalcraft, Cromwell.