New Lynn apartments get green light

West Auckland's first high-rise apartment building has been given the go-ahead.

Auckland Council has granted resource consent for a 10-storey residential tower above the new Merchant Quarter building in New Lynn - with work expected to start this month.

With prices starting at $250,000, the 110 one and two-bedrooms apartments offer an affordable choice for Aucklanders looking to buy their first home.

"Aucklanders respond rapidly when they are given the opportunity, " says Mayor Len Brown. "More than half the apartments have already been sold in this building, which offers people affordable options close to great transport links, community facilities, cafes, restaurants and shops."

"New Lynn is showing the rest of Auckland what a vibrant, compact city can look like, and it's looking very good indeed. The Merchant Quarter is New Lynn's new heart where people can live, work, do business, shop and be entertained."

The apartment complex being built by Tasman Cook will go above the council's new five- level McCrae Way public carpark building in the new Merchant Quarter.

The carpark will continue to operate during construction because Auckland Council future-proofed it to enable residential development and therefore minimise disruption.

"We expect the rest of the apartments to sell incredibly quickly once construction starts," says Tasman Cook Director Leonard Ross. "Interest has been very high and once people see the crane on site they'll want to be in on the action."

That also means the remaining carpark building's retail spaces will be snapped up, adds Infratil's Development General Manager Andrew Lamb. Infratil is the council's partner in the Merchant Quarter development.

The Merchant Quarter development is part of Auckland Council's transformation of New Lynn into a vibrant metropolitan centre to deliver the aspirations of the Auckland Plan.

It is also an excellent example of the model and approach for a more compact city detailed in the council's proposed Unitary Plan.

"New Lynn is Auckland's poster child for brownfields development and shows how inner city living can be created in town centres such as New Lynn," says Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse.

The New Lynn tower offers panoramic views of New Lynn and the Waitakere Ranges with the west facing apartments proving the most popular with buyers.

The tower builds on a number of projects already delivered in New Lynn including the award-winning transport interchange, the Clark St extension and the Merchant Quarter. As well as the new carpark, the latter features a new medical centre and an upgraded McCrae Way, Auckland's newest shared space street and New Lynn's second. Auckland Transport has also upgraded Great North Rd and Delta Ave.

The apartment tower is expected to be finished early next year.