Big project reveal promised
THE developer behind a 33room luxury lodge to be built on vacant land in Wanaka’s Brownston St says the project is under way and a big announcement on the design, timeline and the name of the lodge will be made early next month.
Managing director of The B Group, the company that owns the site, Andrew McIntosh, said there was no truth to the rumour the lodge was meant to be completed this month but he would not be drawn on when construction would start.
‘‘We don’t want to say much more; what we’re bringing out is quite new to the market so we want to surprise, and control the marketing launch, in three weeks’ time,’’ he said.
Mr McIntosh said it was still going to be a ‘‘lovely luxury lodge’’ and ‘‘very much ecofriendly’’ but the design had changed since the original plans were revealed in June.
Mr McIntosh said his company was always going to be the longterm operator of the business but plans to sell the freehold site of the former Pembroke Putt minigolf course fell through and they took it off the market.
At the moment he was both developer and operator, he said.
Despite public concern over the lack of parking incorporated in the original design, Mr McIntosh said it would not be an issue as a lot of his customers would be on a tour.
Queenstown Lakes District Council communications and engagement manager Naell CrosbyRoe confirmed there had been a preapplication meeting and an urban design panel meeting between council officers and the developer in midJune.
He said they had also had a further preapplication meeting with the proposed developers recently but council has yet to receive an application for resource consent.