The RCG Development Tracker page has just been updated for October, and there’s plenty of new stuff in there. There are a few areas which are getting major makeovers in the next couple of years – Sale St is one, and Beach Rd/ Anzac Ave is similar with three sizeable apartment projects just about to launch (technically they’re only doing ‘expressions of interest’ at the moment, not actually selling the apartments off the plans). That’s The Maritime, Connect Anzac and The Antipodean, all of which are down around lower Anzac Ave. Several hundred new residents and a few new shops could really help to rejuvenate the area, tidying up a few of the more run-down sites in the process.

On a smaller, more local scale, Browns Bay has seen quite a bit of development recently. The Norfolk Apartments were marketed in late 2013, with the building completed in late 2014. The developers bought the neighbouring site as well, and that’s now under construction as The Pines apartments.

true-commercial-19-21-bute-rd-containing-retail-unit-2-browns-bay
Norfolk Apartments, with the site to the lower left now under construction as “The Pines”. Image source: http://truecommercial.nzherald.co.nz/news/property-articles/competitive-price-expected-for-browns-bay-unit/

The Anzac Lofts terraces are currently being marketed, and the former New World supermarket has been designated as a Special Housing Area. Of note, the SHA mentions:

“The proposed scheme has been developed in close liaison with local real estate agents who have identified significant demand, particularly from older residents seeking to downsize and remain in the suburb”.

Overall, that’s about 170 new homes being added to the town centre, which will give it a boost. I’m sure the ‘wanting to downsize but stay in the same area’ point will be on the minds of a lot empty nesters over the next few years.

The Development Tracker also shows some changes at retirement villages in Browns Bay – new units at Aria Bay, and a comprehensive redevelopment of the 55-bed Maureen Plowman Rest Home into a integrated facility with 62 retirement village units and 40 rest home beds.

In retail, there’s a range of things happening – too small to show in the Tracker (I don’t show retail developments smaller than 5,000 square metres), but there’s a brand new New World supermarket which replaced the old one, and the old Palmers garden centre has been redeveloped for convenience shops, and I’m sure I saw another new convenience block somewhere (Inverness Rd? Maybe a local can help me out here).

It’d be great to see this kind of thing replicated around the city, or the country for that matter. I’m sure there would be lots of town centres which would love to see new investments there, whether it’s new homes, new shops or better public spaces.

Share this

11 comments

  1. Are you thinking of the couple-of-years old retail/childcare development at the corner of Bute and Beach roads?
    https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-36.7142711,174.7430517,3a,75y,38.72h,93.14t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sQyi3QdoMsc7KEBcQ-Jx1Eg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DQyi3QdoMsc7KEBcQ-Jx1Eg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D355.86441%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
    They lost NZ Farm Co (the butchers formerly known as Janssens) as a tenant about 6 months after they opened and still haven’t replaced them. The other units seem to be doing OK, though.

    1. No, not that, it was something that was just in the final stages of construction when I was in Browns Bay… a couple of shops had signs out on the road saying ‘opening soon’ etc. Maybe a sushi shop, a bakery, a cafe, or similar. National brands/ franchises. Can’t quite remember, it was at least 6 months ago that I was there!
      I’m actually wondering if there was just the one new block, since the old Palmers site seems to have a lot of the stores I’m thinking of.

      1. Yep that’s on the old palmers site. Only other retail development is the old farmers store which got broken up into a number of smaller stores.

  2. Wow so next year 380 new apartments will be completed on Hopetoun St [including Urba at the top of Howe]. 750-1000 more souls perfectly placed between Ponsonby and the city. While you’d hope many would walk [or bike] from such a great position to either destination, it does make sense for the current 020 bus route to change to take Hopetoun between these destination, but they’ll need a pair of stops there. The proposed 105:

    http://greaterakl.wpengine.com/2015/10/01/central-and-east-new-network-consultation/

  3. Updates from Hobsonville:

    Countdown has opened, but the adjacent retail shops are still under construction.
    The Sierra Terraces (Hobsonville Point) have started construction

    Lots of other development springing up around the point!

    1. Thanks, I’m quite conscious that I’m not really representing some of the larger master planned developments very well – e.g. Hobsonville Point, Stonefields, Kensington Park (and Three Kings will be in a similar boat once they start on the main quarry area). They’ve all got a bit of a mix of housing including detached, terraces, apartments etc, and I’ve tried to keep detached out of the Tracker. But what then happens is I only end up covering a few larger, named developments within the big areas, like the apartment buildings in Stonefields. A lot of unnamed terrace blocks, etc get left out.
      What I should probably do instead is have a single entry for the overall development. Will have more of a think about that for next month.

  4. According to the StreetView time machine, that development began sometime after December 2009 and was complete before April 2012. So a bit older than I remembered.

  5. I hadn’t heard about Anzac Lofts before.
    Does it bother anyone else that people trying to take a million dollars off you can’t be bothered to proofread their blurbs? “Coramandel” and “cladding pellet”.

  6. Brown’s Bay has always been medium-high density on the flat and this is just developing it further. Great little town. There is quite a bit of vacant retail space after Farmers etc moved out to Albany when that mall went in but it is coming back with lots of cafes, a few bars (including Craft Brewery at Deep Creek), and more food places (at last count I think there were 5 Japanese places, 2 Indian, 2 kebab, 3 pizza, 1 Italian, 3 Fish and Chips, 1 Thai, 1 South African, and then all the cafes as mentioned). If they ever got around to building a ferry terminal then imagine how popular that would be (Gulf Harbour-Browns Bay-Auckland).

    1. Regarding the ferry, I can’t honestly see it happening.

      There would be a hang of a lot of dredging and a long wharf required to get a ferry into the bay at low tide. The reef is pretty extensive so the entry and exit path is limited too. The consents to get that done would be pretty difficult I think, given that there’s a marine reserve just around the corner at Long Bay.

      I used to be really keen for a ferry in BB but honestly I think it would just make the waterfront there a carpark like Devonport is.
      Better feeder buses up to Albany and Constellation stations, removal of beachfront parking, and more pedestrian friendly roads will be what makes it great(er). Oh, and a cool little cinema please.

      1. Most of the bay is 3.6m at low tide so only minimal dredging would be required. The reef system is off the point to the North of the main part of the bay.
        The actual wharf would be built up along the lines of gulf harbour in all likelihood with fill rather than being open underneath on piles. It would provide a good terminus for the buses to turn around before going through Browns Bay and on to Albany or down the coast/up to Torbay.
        Shouldn’t have any impact on the marine reserve which is further North and well on the other side of the reef. The main issue is going to be the NIMBYs that live on Manly Esplanade. From personal anecdote many moons ago I was part of a survey of the residents in the surrounding 2-3 blocks in each direction and the majority were in support of it just the NIMBYs and a few penny pinchers were opposed.
        Buses to Albany are very important too of course. Have the following charts of the water depth and likely wharf (Red) with dredging area next to it in Green
        http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af162/zkpilot2/Screenshot_1.jpg
        http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af162/zkpilot2/Copy%20of%20Screenshot_1.jpg

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *