Laura Poh, of Sedar Properties, owners of Pakūranga Plaza, says: “We’re pleased to welcome Game Over to Pakuranga Plaza! This is a positive step in supporting Pakūranga as a town and family hub, even as work on the wider redevelopment plan continues.” Photo supplied
It’s Game Over – game on. The good times might just be around the corner and returning to the Pakūranga Plaza area, with renovations under way inside the giant building that previously housed The Warehouse.
It is 12 months since The Warehouse Pakūranga closed its doors for the final time after 31 years, and the former premises it occupied is being prepared for a new business enterprise.
The Eastern Times has been contacted recently by local residents and people working in the Pakuranga town centre precinct asking what’s happening with the familiar, red warehouse-sized building that has been empty since Auckland Anniversary Weekend 2025.
When the Times visited the store over the past week, the public-facing worksite information sign in the window says the landlord is Game Over, an entertainment sector business, and the company undertaking the renovations is FSL Construction and Interiors.
Workers using equipment to clean, grind and polish the expansive concrete floor could be seen through the window at the store’s main entrance way that connects to the walkway to Aylesbury Street and the main Pakūranga Plaza complex.
Online real estate listings on websites realestate.co.nz (listed on December 8, 2025) and for Bayleys and Trade Me say ‘Game Over Entertainment is set to open in Q1 [first three months] 2026 in the former Warehouse space’.
The real estate listings go on to read that Game Over’s arrival will be ‘injecting new energy and footfall into the centre, while Woolworths and Panda Mart continue to anchor daily customer traffic’.
Responding yesterday, January 21, to a Times request for comment, Laura Poh, of Sedar Properties, owners of Pakūranga Plaza, says: “We’re pleased to welcome Game Over to Pakuranga Plaza!
“This is a positive step in supporting Pakūranga as a town and family hub, even as work on the wider redevelopment plan continues.
“It’s a meaningful investment by both Game Over and ourselves, and we hope it will bring new entertainment and leisure options for families and visitors,” says Poh.
When the Times visited the store over the past week, the public-facing worksite information sign in the window says the landlord is Game Over, an entertainment sector business, and the company undertaking the renovations is FSL Construction and Interiors. Times photo PJ Taylor
On the gameoverauckland.co.nz website, Game Over is described as ‘Auckland’s premier family entertainment and go karting’.
Game Over has its established Auckland venue in Arrenway Drive, Albany, and the Game Over website also lists venues in Christchurch and Queenstown.
Of its ‘attractions’, it says ‘Game Over Auckland is your one-stop shop for an exhilarating adventure. You’ll find a thrilling go-kart track, an immersive laser tag arena, a challenging mini-golf course, and action-packed arcade games, all under one roof!’
The Companies Office website lists four active businesses with Game Over in their names – Game Over Auckland Limited, Game Over Christchurch Limited, Game Over Queenstown Limited, and Game Over East Auckland Limited, the latter incorporated on December 20, 2024.
The Times has contacted Game Over Auckland asking for comment about the east Auckland operation set-up of Game Over and awaits a response.
The online real estate listings for Pakūranga Plaza have ‘flexible internal and external tenancy options available ranging in various sizes and strong catchment growth underway’.
‘Pakuranga Plaza is positioned as a leading, high-visibility retail destination along the new Panmure-Pakuranga-Botany corridor.
‘Pakuranga Plaza is experiencing a major uplift, driven by new anchor tenants, major transport upgrades, and increasing residential growth across East Auckland.
‘The newly opened highway flyover and the Eastern Busway – now carrying more than 18,000 passengers daily – have significantly improved accessibility, visibility, and flow into the precinct.’
Over the past 18 months, the Times has published news stories about Pakūranga Plaza and the tough economic times it has experienced with plummeting trade and dwindling occupied store spaces since the Covid era and Eastern Busway construction works have completely surrounded it over the past two years.
Workers using equipment to clean, grind and polish the expansive concrete floor could be seen through the window at the store’s main entrance way that connects to the walkway to Aylesbury Street and the main Pakūranga Plaza complex. Times photo PJ Taylor
Auckland Transport’s $1.3 billion Eastern Busway super project is due to be fully completed in the latter half of 2027, though sub-projects in and around Pakūranga Plaza and adjacent precinct, such as the new Pakuranga Bus Station that’s under development, are expected to be finished and ready for use this year.
In earlier stories, people the Times talked with and reported on, said the Eastern Busway construction works all around it were putting off shoppers and consumers from continuing to patronise the Pakuranga shopping and town centre because of access issues – it was more difficult getting in and out of.
When telling the Times that The Warehouse Pakūranga was to close, Ian Carter, the executive general manager store operations for The Warehouse, pointed to the disruptions to retail trade caused by the large construction projects happening in and around Pakūranga Plaza as a major factor.
“Our lease is coming to an end, and after reviewing the store’s location, foot traffic, and the impact of ongoing roadworks around Pakūranga Plaza, we’ve made the difficult decision to not renew our lease and close our Pakuranga store by the end of January 2025,” Carter said in November 2024.
For earlier Times stories about Pakūranga Plaza and The Warehouse Pakūranga, read:
https://www.times.co.nz/business/pakuranga-plaza-the-good-the-bad-and-no-news/
https://www.times.co.nz/business/the-warehouse-bids-farewell-as-doors-close-for-final-time/
https://www.times.co.nz/business/exclusive-the-warehouse-at-pakuranga-plaza-is-closing/
https://www.times.co.nz/news/theres-a-kind-of-hush-at-a-pakuranga-plaza-christmas/
https://www.times.co.nz/news/pain-down-at-pakuranga-plaza/
https://www.times.co.nz/news/auckland-transport-responds-to-concerns-at-the-plaza/
https://www.times.co.nz/business/cheerleader-collings-flies-flag-for-pakuranga-plaza/
https://www.times.co.nz/news/busway-construction-drives-pharmacy-from-pakuranga-plaza/
https://www.times.co.nz/business/mp-weighs-into-debate-over-problems-at-plaza/
https://www.times.co.nz/business/public-opinion-on-the-pain-at-the-plaza/