Site manager David Montgomery and project manager Steve Wood. Photo / George Novak
Construction of a new $150 million retirement village in Pāpāmoa Beach is well and truly under way and is expected to create about 60 jobs once it opens in mid-2020.
The Tauranga City Council has approved $2.1m to construct four blocks of two-bedroom villas for the Summerset by the Dunesretirement village at 22 Manawa St. It was the largest major consent application issued in December.
The first stage of the new 280-home Summerset retirement village on 8ha of Pāpāmoa land at the end of Manawa St was hoped to be completed by July this year.
Summerset chief executive Julian Cook said Summerset was investing about $150m into the new retirement village, which was estimated to create about 60 new jobs.
The village is expected to have about 280 homes, including two and three-bedroom serviced villas, memory-care apartments and a care centre with rest-home and hospital-level care.
The company bought the land to build its first retirement village in Tauranga in October 2018.
Cook said there had been high interest in the new village, and the first residents were due to move in at the start of July this year.
"Summerset is really excited about opening our first Tauranga retirement village in mid-2020," he said.
"We are looking forward to bringing our special brand of Summerset life to retirees in the area."
At the time the development was announced, Cook said in a media statement that Tauranga was in need of care and dementia care facilities for its growing elderly population and the company had been looking to invest in the city for some time.
Summerset is partnering with the land's former owners, Te Kapu ō Waitaha, to provide educational scholarships in health and wellbeing, including care for the elderly.
The retirement village was part of 141 building consents valued at more than $38m issued for December - that included $6.8m for 22 commercial consents and 71 residential consents for 95 new homes totalling $28m.
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said the demand for commercial and residential real estate was steady as the population continued to grow.
Cowley said both local and central government were assessing the best way to invest in infrastructure to make it easier to do business and get around the region.
"This will make it more attractive for new businesses to start and relocate to the region," he said.
"I believe we will continue to see steady growth throughout 2020 across the Western Bay."
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said there was continued confidence in development in the city as "we are a growing and popular place".
"I would expect consent levels in the coming year to be down a little bit on the last three years, which have been very high. Land availability looms as a constraint in the future."
Major consent applications issued value over $1m:
242 Grenada St - $1,800,000 Construct 6 new single level villas (Units 42, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51) - 4 as attached duplexes and 2 standalone - 2 bed/2 bathroom, with attached garage
22 Manawa St - $2,115,000 Construct 4 blocks of villas. Each villa has 2 bedrooms and a single car garage (Blocks B01 3x Units, B02 4x units, B03 3x units, B04 3x Units)
8 Te Ngaio Rd - $1,300,000 Construct two-storey dwelling with 3 bedrooms and attached double car garage
26 Golden Sands Drive - $1,000,000 Installation of 6 temporary classrooms and two toilet buildings. Buildings to sit on new timber pile foundations. Decks, verandas, ramps and steps to be constructed
2 Cross Rd - $1,500,000 Boat workshop for the periodic maintenance/repair of large super yachts
13 Lumsden St - $1,000,000 Remedial works to existing administration building with new cladding, roof flashing replacement, new steel structure, new layout, new concrete nib. New carparking