A vacant 7,724 m2 site at 162 Waihi Rd, Judea is being considered for a special housing area development.
Tauranga City Council was approached by PMP Developments, in conjunction with Classic Builders, who would like the vacant lot to be considered.
The proposed development consisted of 32 dwellings in the form of duplexes and apartments of one to two levels.
The site was currently zoned for residential development.
This was the first special housing area proposal to go out for consultation and a number of others would follow in the coming weeks, the council said in a statement today.
The Tauranga Housing Accord was signed by Tauranga City Council and the Government in August to help address housing issues in the city.
One of the ways it would be done was by identifying specific sites in the city that were deemed suitable for new housing. These were called special housing areas and the development of those sites would be fast tracked under the Housing Accord and Special Housing Area legislation.
Classic Builders Bay of Plenty/Waikato regional manager Paul Taylor said with the proposed two and three bedroom dwellings, the development could deliver new housing at more affordable levels than found in conventional housing developments.
"We think there is a significant need for this type of housing in Tauranga", Mr Taylor said.
The consultant for the developer Boffa Miskell's Richard Coles said "sites of this size provide an opportunity for well-designed medium density developments that can provide for specific housing needs while still maintaining high residential amenity values".
Mayor Stuart Crosby said Tauranga City Council had been working towards addressing housing affordability and supply issues for a number of years.
"The implementation of Special Housing Areas is a way for council to facilitate and fast-track more housing, including affordable housing, where there is demand for it."
Family say there are two people who may have information but are yet to be located.