Point Chevalier’s distinctive red brick ex-Carrington Hospital buildings beside Unitec Te Pūkenga will be strengthened, and new uses will be created inside the buildings with the highest level of historic protection.
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Anne Gibson
An aerial drone image of the ex-Carrington Hospital buildings. Photo / Jason Dorday
“These buildings rightly have the highest level of heritage protection and will most certainly not be demolished,” said Ockham Residential’s spokesman.
That is in contrast to social media comments lately claiming demolition was planned.
Instead, developers like Ockham and others will be working in the vicinity of, but not on, the ex-hospital buildings.
The spokesman said Ockahm would start work nearby in three months, working with Marutūāhu on building Maungārongo beside Unitec Te Pūkenga.
The historic buildings needed major seismic strengthening and work, but who paid for that isn’t yet obvious.
“It’s unclear at this stage where the funding will come from. Some Government agency financial assistance could well be required,” he said.
The ministry said a new urban village of 4000-plus homes would rise in the Carrington residential development within 15 years or more on 39.7 hectares.
Three Tāmaki Makaurau rōpū - Marutūāhu, Ngāti Whātua and Waiohua-Tāmaki and their project partners - are involved in redeveloment work on the site, which is being facilitated by the Crown via the ministry.
Last October, the Herald reported how plans were launched for a new multi-billion-dollar Auckland “village within a city, an urban kāinga” of 40 new apartment buildings with more than 3000 units.
Te Mana Rauhī Taiao, the Environmental Protection Authority, said on March 29 that Marutūāhu-Ockham Group, on behalf of Marutūāhu rōpū, applied for resource consent for two developments, and an independent panel granted consent.
Those developments are:
- Unitec residential development - Maungārongo RC1, an application to construct two buildings of apartments, shops and offices, including landscaping and parking facilities, in Wairaka Precinct.
- Unitec residential development - Maungārongo RC2, an application to construct four neighbouring buildings including residential apartments and shops at 1 Carrington Rd.
The application was made under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, the authority said.
Ockham is not going ahead with all it planned lately due to the housing downturn. On September 30, the Herald reported it had returned apartment deposits on The Feynman, a 165-unit project planned for 339-359 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn.
Co-founder Mark Todd said with Auckland new-build apartment sales at lows not seen in more than a decade, Ockham only achieved about one-fifth of its desired pre-sales, so was returning money to buyers.
Earlier this week, Ockham opened its new 210-unit Manaaki apartment project in Onehunga. That is its 18th residential project. At election weekend, 1342 people visited the project at an open day.
Todd said Ockham would finish nearly 500 new apartments this year, including Aalto in Morningside and Ponsonby’s The Greenhouse, with thousands of distinctive bricks on the Pollen St/Williamson Ave intersection across from Stuff and Vinegar Lane.
Out at 9 Jordan Ave, Onehunga, 210 units were opened on Tuesday this week at Manaaki. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown officiated.
Manaaki is the fourth project developed by Ockham and Marutūāhu.
Ockham’s 18 buildings are:
- The Ockham Building, 25 apartments, Kingsland
- Wilkinson House (see below)
- The Wamaka Buildings, Wilkinson Rd, Ellerslie, 18 apartments
- The Isaac, 75 apartments, Grey Lynn
- The Turing, 27 apartments, Grey Lynn
- Station R, 37 apartments, Mt Eden
- Hypatia, 61 apartments, Newmarket
- Daisy, 33 apartments, Mt Eden
- Bernoulli Gardens, 120 apartments, Hobsonville
- Set Buildings, 72 apartments, Avondale
- Tuatahi, 119 apartments, Mt Albert
- Modal, 32 apartments, Mt Albert
- Kōkihi, 95 apartments, Waterview
- The Nix, 32 apartments, Grey Lynn
- Koa Flats, 14 apartments, Meadowbank
- Aroha, 117 units, Avondale
- Aalto, 39 units, Morningside
- Manaaki, 210 units, Onehunga.
Ockham’s October 27 newsletter had further details about the Point Chevalier project.
“We dubbed 2023 our year of delivery. With Koa Flats, Aroha, Aalto and now Manaaki complete and The Greenhouse not too far off, we’ll be opening new fronts in 2024. The first of these is Toi,” it said, referring to its first block on the Point Chevalier land.
“We’re delighted to announce that the vendor development condition has now been met and site establishment work at Toi will commence in early January,” the developer said.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.