Fertiliser site project a ‘challenge’
It’s proposed to host a massive new shopping centre, but the man behind New Plymouth’s big brand retail park says the former Ravensdown fertiliser site was ‘‘too big of a challenge’’ for him to develop.
Bryce Barnett, an international commercial property investor based in Taranaki, said he did not even consider buying the 7.44 hectare former Ravensdown site, even though it was in a prime location near the successful Valley Mega Centre retail park.
‘‘I’m not saying it can’t work, but there are some challenges,’’ Barnett said. ‘‘I saw it as too big of a challenge.’’
The site was bought by Tauranga-based developers Bluehaven in 2017.
In January 2018 the company revealed plans to develop a commercial retail complex that included 30 speciality retail stores, a supermarket, a six-screen cinema, a hardware store, offices and a 75-room hotel.
The New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) had requested a public hearing after Bluehaven lodged a resource consent for the complex. The hearing was initially scheduled for last Friday.
But last week the council said because there were similarities between expert positions, plus a ‘‘substantial cost’’ to holding a public hearing, it was decided it would be ‘‘put aside’’.
In an emailed statement the Taranaki Regional Council said resource consents lodged by Bluehaven for the construction of a bridge, a flood protection structure, and for stormwater discharge during construction, were issued on February 12.
Barnett, who developed the Valley Mega Centre that opened in 2006, said Bluehaven had challenges ahead – even just to get the site into a ‘‘developable state’’.
The site contains a large number of buildings formerly used to store fertiliser and the area is widely contaminated with asbestos.
‘‘If they an overcome them, great.’’
Barnett said he knew a number of companies, like Kmart, would be interested in coming to New Plymouth, but he didn’t think there were enough ‘‘largeformat’’ retailers, that weren’t already in town, to fill the space.
‘‘I’m not saying it’s not fit for bulk retail,’’ he said.
Since revealing their big plans in 2018, Bluehaven have not offered any update on the development – despite being asked multiple times.
Lucy Bleakley of Blink PR, which manages Bluehaven’s media requests, said the company did not have any comment.
Since purchasing the former industrial site there appears to have been little or no work completed there. It is strewn with weeds and deteriorating buildings and in December New Plymouth businessman John Rae called it a ‘‘bloody eyesore’’.
An asbestos survey conducted in June 2017 found about 1500 tonnes of asbestos in the walls, roof flat and corrugated cladding of buildings left on the site. Nearby soils were also found to contain asbestos.