Unitec previously submitted to Auckland Council during its Unitary Plan public consultation process that it had land surplus to requirements and would be an attractive place for intensification.
Plans for the Mount Albert campus' redevelopment are listed on its website including its wish to shrink the campus, which covers more than 53 hectares and is occupied by 177 buildings, down to nine hectares.
Auckland Council has granted it resource consent to consolidate and previous submissions it made on the Unitary Plan said its Wairaka Precinct space was "inefficient".
The submissions said the precinct "comprises a large land holding predominantly in single ownership (and) represents an ideal opportunity to provide for some of the residential intensification necessary to meet Auckland's projected population growth over the next 30 years.
"The site is currently significantly under utilised, although well serviced with necessary infrastructure, with an inefficient building layout and large areas of vacant land".
The Mount Albert Residents' Association website, Mt Albert Inc, has tabled the theory that the surplus land will be used for housing development.
Resident, journalist and association co-chair Bruce Morris wrote there were "strong hints" there would be hundreds or thousands of homes built on the land.
Albert-Eden local board chair Peter Haynes said there had been a lot of speculation.
He had received a call from Phil Twyford's office today as a matter of courtesy but declined to elaborate on what he was told.
Some members of the board were aware of the details of the announcement but Haynes said he preferred to let the information come from the officials.
"All I can say is, I'm very much looking forward to the announcement. It will be a very positive moment."
Labour's KiwiBuild programme, overseen by Housing Minister Phil Twyford, plans to build 100,000 affordable homes across the country, with half of those in Auckland and in large scale development projects.
Mount Albert residents have Previously voiced opposition to intensification and started crowdfunding to hire experts to fight the plans.
Long-time resident Rosemarie Baker said she had heard rumours about what would become of the Unitec land and said she would be disappointed if it was earmarked for intensification.
More housing would put stress on the area's infrastructure, she said.
"It's obviously nothing to do with students necessarily, it's going to be another housing development. As a resident I can see it bringing a lot more traffic. I think the Albert-Eden board is just excited about the whole thing because they want to carry on with all these exciting parks."
She hoped residents would be notified of any planned development.
"I don't think there's a lot of people who know what's going on and that's not such a good thing."
