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Invercargill’s CBD redevelopment project has won multiple categories at the 2024 New Zealand Commercial Projects Awards.

The Amalgamated Builders project, which spanned the entire central city block, won a gold award, the national retail category, and a special award that was given at the discretion of the judges for “a specific outstanding project or element of a project that is worthy of recognition”.

The award ceremony took place in Wellington on May 24.

The Invercargill Central Limited project was a public-private partnership between the Invercargill City Council and O’Donnell CBD Limited, costing $180 million and opened to the public in July 2022.

Amalgamated Builders Southland general manager Brad Harper said the Invercargill Central Development was the largest project in Amalgamated Builders’ 50-year history.

“The transformation of our city centre into a vibrant community hub with a beautiful indoor shopping complex is a source of immense pride.

“We are grateful to the O’Donnell Family, Geoff Thomson, MBIE, and Invercargill City Holdings for their vision and support,” Harper said.

The project was commended for its “unique and future-focused approach to revitalising the CBD retail experience”.

It showcased the “exceptional skills” of the designers, contractors, and project managers involved, and the recognition was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team, subcontractors, and suppliers, he said.

Under the redevelopment, 43 buildings were demolished, the last one coming down in September 2020, and three buildings and facades were retained. It salvaged and incorporated artefacts and heritage facades into the construction, including the former Southland Times building.

At the time, the concrete, structure steel and some timber from the demolitions had been recycled, while debris not suitable for recycling was dumped in a resource consented landfill on the outskirts of Invercargill.

Demolition data showed 14 workers, 10,000 tonnes of concrete, 10,000 tonnes of general demolition materials and 6000m³ of excavated materials.