Groundbreaking opportunity on Waikato riverside
A groundbreaking opportunity to be part of an innovative mixed-use community development alongside the Waikato River in Hamilton is being offered with the sale of 3ha of land in the first stage of the project.
Registrations of interest are being sought for four super-lots capable of accommodating over 200 dwellings at Te Awa Lakes at Horotiu on the city’s northern outskirts. They will be the start of a billion-dollar masterplanned project which could eventually comprise around 1800 homes, incorporating land adjacent to feature lakes and riverside lots, as well as a village centre, outdoor recreational activities and an adventure park.
The proposed development encompasses approximately 90ha of land located alongside the Waikato River and Waikato Expressway (SH1). It is owned and was formerly operated as a sand quarry by the Perry Group.
The company, one of Hamilton’s best known businesses established by Brian Perry in 1954, obtained a private plan change to convert the site’s previous industrial zoning to a mix of medium-density residential and business zonings.
“Our very clear vison with Te Awa Lakes is to transform an unused industrial site into a thriving, integrated community providing a new way of living for the region,” says Te Awa Lakes chief executive Richard Coventry.
“It will encompass high-quality medium density housing, retail, tourism and recreational activities and create a stunning new northern gateway to Hamilton.
“On the residential side of the development, we are looking to work in partnership with established developers and house builders experienced in large-scale projects.
We are proposing that at least 10 per cent of the housing will meet the affordable homes classification to make sure first-home buyers have the opportunity to be part of the purchaser mix.”
Bayleys Real Estate has been appointed sole agents to market the four super-lots that will be part of the initial stages of the development.
Ranging from 7366 sq m to 9029 sq m, they are available for purchase individually or in any combination, including all four lots. Up to 216 dwellings are envisioned across the lots comprising a mixture of medium density housing and apartments along with ground-floor retail and food and beverage outlets on Hutchinson Rd, one of the site’s main roads. Titles are estimated to be available in June 2022.
“This is an exciting opportunity to secure a foothold in what is likely be a decade-long project aiming to set a new benchmark for community development in Hamilton,” says Gerald Rundle, Bayleys’ corporate projects manager. He is marketing the property with colleagues Suzie Wigglesworth, Paula Bennett and David Cashmore.
Also proposed in the masterplan, subject to obtaining the necessary council consents, are a village centre, with retail, food and beverage and other commercial premises, visitor accommodation, an aged care/retirement village and recreational amenities including cycle and walking trails and an adventure park with a water and outdoor activity theme. The park’s proposed location is at the southern end of the site in a buffer zone between the project’s housing and Fonterra’s Horotiu dairy factory.
Initial registrations of interest for the purchase and development of the four superlots close on July 14.