Sovereign Place Town Centre officially opens, Friday November 22

The opening was on Friday, November 22.

Guests included developer Lewis Land Group, member for Cowper Pat Conaghan, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council mayor Peta Pinson and local business interests. Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams' flight was forced to return to Sydney mid-flight.

Commercial Project Group completed construction of the $20 million, 5200 sqm Sovereign Place Town Centre stage one on schedule within 12 months.

Lewis Land Group CEO Chris Calvert described the opening of the Town Centre and the broader $500 million Sovereign Hills master planned community as "momentous".

"The Sovereign Place Town Centre is a key piece of infrastructure which will support our growing local residential community, the wider Hastings community and visitors, with more choice, more convenience and more dining options," he said.

"This is an exceptionally proud moment.

"I've been with the (Lewis Land) Group for nearly six years and I remember quite vividly coming to Port Macquarie when this project was a bit of a pipe dream.

"And to see this created with such a local presence with local tenants and local employment means it is a real part of the wider Port Macquarie community.

"We are quite ecstatic. And a bit emotional too," he said.

"Sovereign Place Town Centre was very much built around the Lewis Land Design mantra of open air design and very community focused.

"The big thing about this place is that it is a place where people connect."

Mr Calvert said the Town Centre sits in the centre of the Sovereign Hills community which, once complete, will feature some 2500 lots and be home to 10,000 people.

"But the heart and soul is the Sovereign Place Town Centre," he said.

"Beyond the financial side of things, this is the heart and soul of this community.

"We could not be happier than how this has been designed and built.

"For us, the really pleasing part of this process is that it was built with the support of the Port Macquarie-Hastings community.

"Today is a proud moment.

"As a developer, we don't cut and run; we build for the long term."

The Lewis Land Group also made a $100,000 donation to two local rural fire service brigades during Friday's official opening.

Mr Conaghan said he was pleased to be able to play a small role in this significant milestone.

"Sovereign Hills is a vibrant, master planned community that is attracting young families to live in Port Macquarie and investors to spend here," he said.

Cr Pinson said developments such as Sovereign Place meant that Port Macquarie is a place to be watched.

"Our confidence survey is high and our building developments are continuing to rise, compared with other centres," she said.

Up to 430 workers poured more than 105,000 construction hours into the project which also called for 200 tonne of structural steel, 2733 cubic metres of concrete, 1365 metres of locally-sourced Australian forestry certified hardwood, 6202 recycled bricks and almost 20,000 plants and trees.

Designed by The Buchan Group, the town centre capitalises on the centre's location midway between Port Macquarie's coastline and hinterland to the west, inviting the outdoors in. "The Sovereign Place Town Centre has been designed to make the most of Port Macquarie's idyllic climate and coast-meets-country vibe, delivering an environment which is quintessentially Australian," said LLG Head of Development Michael Long.

The centre is home to Port Macquarie's first NRMA electric vehicle charging station and will also offer visitors free WiFi.

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