Matthew Bai
This past week has brought about announcements for major Kiwibuild projects in Auckland, a new subdivision in Havelock North, refurbishment on Queen St, and a major new hotel for Christchurch.
Additionally, transport related stories to have made the news this week include Auckland Mayor Phil Goff’s suggestion of free travel on the Queen Street segment of the proposed tram line.
KiwiBuild:
The week started off with a major announcement from Kiwibuild for Auckland’s Mt Roskill. The government agency plans to redevelop between 2,000 to 3,000 existing state houses into 10,000 new dwellings. This project will follow the established tri-mode model of “affordable”, “market”, and “social” housing, whereby diversity of incomes is maintained, and the cost of affordable/market homes is subsidized through selling higher priced market homes.
According to Housing Minister Phil Twyford, “Not only will this redevelopment provide families in Mt Roskill with high-quality new homes, it’ll provide the infrastructure to cope with growth and connect with the planned light rail line. This redevelopment will include more than 2,400 modest, affordable KiwiBuild homes for first-home buyers, around 3,000 market homes, and more than 3,000 new state homes. Building in Roskill South has already started. Under stage one, 80 new state homes will be built, with the first ready to move into next year”.
While the stated area of redevelopment encampuses 143 Ha, it is not possible to calculate the current or proposed density at this stage, as the area also includes non government properties. One known fact is the area will fall under the Government’s proposed UDA, suggesting AUP rules will no longer apply once this takes place. CPNZ will conduct more in-depth analysis of this project following the release of additional information in 2019.
This week also saw the announcement of another Kiwibuild project for Auckland. The project is called 340 Onehunga Mall, and consists of a total of 45 units ranging in size between studios through to 3 bedroom units. The Kiwibuild component will comprise of six studio apartments priced from $380,000, 12 one bedroom apartments priced from $490,000 and seven two bedroom apartments priced at $600,000.
The apartments are the first to be offered to the market under KiwiBuild’s Buying off the Plans scheme, whereby the Government partially underwrites a development by guaranteeing to buy the finished apartments if the developer can’t sell them at a certain price.
The project is due for completion in August 2019. CPNZ will continue to update progress on this project.
Havelock North Subdivision:
Nearly 400 new houses can be built on rural land on the outskirts of Havelock North following the Environment Minister’s approval of a variation to the Hastings District Plan to rezone the land for residential purposes. The rezoning will allow for four new neighbourhoods on the land at the western approach of the settlement. The Iona area had been identified in the early 1990s as suitable for residential growth.
Hastings District Council sought to rezone about 55 hectares of land in order to make more land available for housing development on Iona Rd and Breadalbane Avenue. A consultation process was held with submissions closing in May, followed by a hearing by three independent commissioners. The commissioners made their recommendations to the Environment Minister David Parker to consider and make a final decision.
Last week Parker advised that the rezoning of land at Iona had been approved. This decision had now been notified by the council so the rezoning could come into effect from September 19. Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the Streamlined Planning Process directed by the Government had been helpful.
“It has saved us substantial processing time, which in turn has meant sections in high demand can come to market much faster for our community,” she said
Queen Street Refurbishment:
Major refurbishment plans have been announced for Auckland’s 246 Queen Street following its acquisition by Wilshire Group. According to Wilshire’s Christie Wrightson, the company wishes to restore the 8 story building to its former glory as part of a $20 million (NZD) project.
The company said Auckland CBD’s “midtown” where 246 Queen Street was located was poised for revival with the opening of the new Aotea Station, and the company intended to be a leader in that.
The redevelopment would be 250 metres from the new station which would bring people into a part of the city populated by educational and cultural facilities and services including the University of Auckland, AUT, Auckland Art Gallery, Aotea Square and the Auckland Town Hall.
CBRE director Matt Hockey said once the City Rail Link was completed the amount of people within 30 minutes of the CBD was expected to double and 246 Queen Street was well located to service the increased foot traffic. The company said the redevelopment would meet the growing demand for quality office space as well as offer a range of cafes and restaurants.
Britomart Transport Centre had driven the transformation of downtown Auckland and 246 Queen Street would be an early leader in doing the same for midtown Auckland. The first two floors of 246 Queen Street, about 1900 square metres, would be retail and food and beverage with lettings managed by Match Realty, and the upper six floors, about 6100 sqm, would be commercial space.
Commercial businesses could operate as early as January 2020 and retailers could operate from from the fourth quarter of 2019, Wilshire said. Demolition works would start later this month with construction planned to begin in October, lead by Alaska Construction. The entire building was being revamped, Wilshire said. Most of level 1 would be demolished to give greater height to the ground floor Queen Street retail area.
More information pertaining to this development can be found on the website.
Christchurch Hotel Announced:
Christchurch’s derelict All Seasons hotel, labelled an eyesore by neighbours, will be replaced by a 127-bed three-storey hotel with a restaurant, bar and pool. Demolition is due to start this week on the old earthquake-damaged hotel buildings, which have angered neighbours as they sat deteriorating and attracting vandals and squatters. The buildings are on a large Papanui Rd site backing onto Onslow St.
The property is owned by Auckland’s rich-listed Pandey family, who own hotels across New Zealand and overseas through their company CP Group. They have now lodged a resource consent bid with the Christchurch City Council for the new hotel.
The resource consent application is for a hotel with a reception area, restaurant, bar, cafe and lounge across the front of the property, 127 guest rooms at the rear, and a gym and uncovered pool on the northern side.
The complex will be 11m high and built of concrete with large areas of windows and decorative concrete and metal panels on the facade.
The All Seasons, previously the Autolodge, dates back to the 1970s and closed after the earthquakes. Among those reported to be occupying the damaged building since were a self-style missionary who played loud religious music, and various prostitutes and gangs.
Free tram on Queen St?
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has this week suggested that travel on the Queen Street segment of the proposed tram line should be free. His comments follow similar developments in Australia’s Melbourne, where free use of the city center tram is provided. “Currently the CityLink bus that tram line will replace costs $1 for those paying cash and just $0.50 for those with a HOP Card. Mirroring this pay rate is the minimum they should do” says CPNZ Transport Editor Malcolm McCracken. According to Goff however, “it would ultimately be up to those running the service to decide” because the project is being implemented as a PPP, any proposals for free use could present challenges relating to commercial viability.
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