Hotel gets thumbs up
An artist’s impression of the 13-storey building which will contain hotel rooms, serviced apartments, a restaurant and commercial space.
A hotel is in the works for Hamilton on the former site of Les Mills gym.
The Victoria Street gym building was torn down in 2014 and at the time, building owners Foster Construction planned to create a retail and office space.
Now Hamilton City Council has approved a hotel development on the land: a
13-storey building with hotel rooms, serviced apartments, a restaurant and commercial space.
The need for another high-end hotel has been talked about at council for years, but it’s not yet clear what star rating this one will have.
The project is at a sensitive stage, Foster Construction commercial manager Leonard Gardner said, so he declined to say much.
Fosters is a partner in the company behind the plan, 611 Victoria Street Ltd.
‘‘It’s a concept that has been approved and it’s trying to respond to what Hamilton needs,’’ Gardner said.
It’s a work in progress and he wouldn’t be drawn on whether the development had building consent, who would operate the hotel, or what star rating it would have.
According to a Hamilton Central Business Association newsletter, those behind the hotel are currently in the process of securing an operator.
But Hamilton City Council has granted resource consent for the
39.5-metre-tall building, which it says wouldn’t be out of place, given nearby large office buildings.
‘‘The building comprises a
13-level building containing a two-level podium with an 11-level tower that rises above the podium,’’ council information said. Inside would be 166 rooms – seven levels of hotel rooms and two levels of serviced apartments, with an apartment for a live-in manager.
Other building features include a restaurant, gym, function rooms and a first-floor balcony.
‘‘The mixture of activities on the site will add to the vibrancy of the surrounding area,’’ council information said.
Central-city strollers would be able to cut through the southern side of the site using a link between Barton and Victoria streets, and plans show a possible laneway cafe or retail zone.
The lane would link to a decorative canopy running along the Victoria Street frontage.
A basement car park would be accessed from Victoria.
Its 60 parking spaces would be for valet parking, staff parking and apartment residents only, council information states, but there would be room for motorbikes and bicycles.
Excavations for the basement park would be the most significant part of the earthworks and foundation works, council information said.
That’s expected to take about 50 days and the consent application said there would be one truck movement every 20 minutes to and from Barton Street.
Construction would follow and would take more than 20 weeks, it said.
However, council has imposed limits on construction noise and vibration and is satisfied the development will meet the conditions.
‘‘It’s a concept that has been approved and it’s trying to respond to what Hamilton needs.’’
Foster Construction commercial manager Leonard Gardner