KEY POINTS:
The first stage of New Zealand's largest new retirement village is almost finished.
Metlifecare's North Shore development will eventually have 246 apartments, 15 serviced units and five care suites on the site beside North Shore Hospital.
Building work is nearly finished on an initial stage at the corner of Shakespeare Rd and Taharoto Rd across from Smales Farm.
Metlifecare's marketing manager, Mark Thompson, said the first stage due to be finished in June would have 78 apartments.
Asked about how many of those had been sold, a company spokesman would only say this was "on track".
Thompson said all the small apartments in stage one had gone.
The spokesman said a decision about when the business would begin the second stage was still under consideration.
The 78 units now almost finished are:
24 three-bedroom apartments from $698,000 of about 102sqm with a balcony/terrace.
50 two-bedroom apartments from $592,000 of about 89sqm with a balcony/terrace.
Four one-bedroom places of about 61sqm with balcony/terrace.
When the Takapuna village is finished, Metlifecare says it will have a common area lounge, library, cafe, bar, hairdresser, indoor bowls area, barbecue area, billiards room, workshop, swimming pool, spa, gym, bowling and croquet facilities.
But Thompson said only some of those facilities were being developed in the first phase and the pool, gym and other sports facilities would not be developed until other stages of the village were finished.
The site at a busy intersection demanded that buildings have sound-proofing.
The spokesman said the apartments were built from solid masonry. When finished, the village would form a "C" and face a central park to be developed in the centre.
The apartment windows are rated to reduce noise but Metlifecare had found residents keen to buy apartments and villas facing streetscapes because they enjoyed the activity, the spokesman said.
Metlifecare, the NZX-listed business with 16 retirement villages and a market capitalisation of $218 million, closed yesterday at $2.50, down from a 12-month high of $5.70.
