Catalina Bay Apartments planned for the point. Image / Willis Bond
Catalina Bay Apartments planned for the point. Image / Willis Bond
A new 13-level 71-unit $120 million waterfront apartment and townhouse project is planned at Hobsonville Point's Catalina Bay on land owned by the state's Kāinga Ora.
David McGuinness, project director at Wellington-headquartered Willis Bond, said the scheme was for a site near the point's ferry terminal alongside Little Creatures Hobsonvilleat 2 Boundary Rd.
One-bedroom apartments will sell from $795,000 and two-bedroom from $1.15m, with construction due to begin next year. Townhouses, apartments and penthouses are planned in the scheme. Townhouses start at $1.69m, McGuinness said. Two penthouses both on level 13 would be sold for more than $5m.
Planned new apartments beside Little Creatures brewery. Image / Willis Bond
Architectus designed the Catalina Bay apartments, to be built by LT McGuinness, a Willis Bond associate.
A 12-person theatrette or mini-movie theatre and an on-site manager is planned. A display suite has opened by private appointment by the ferry terminal, McGuinness said.
One local said the site already had key uses. He asked about the fate of boat storage and the yacht club which he said was part of the area's charm and connection to the marine industry - a big part of the former air base's history.
Apartments, townhouses and penthouses planned. Image / Willis Bond
McGuinness said plans were in place to deal with both aspects when the apartments were built.
"Kāinga Ora is working to ensure the facilities affected by apartments will be relocated.
"The yacht club and Westlake Boys' High School rowing facilities will be relocated to a suitable site nearby to their existing facilities."
The park-and-ride spaces for ferry users will also be lost, although Kāinga Ora says alternative spaces could be made available close by.
The project has a three-level podium then a nine and 13-level tower. One image also showed a further stage in a separate block to the east but McGuinness said that was "the next stage of the apartment development, the Yacht Club Building of four levels".
David McGuinness of Willis Bond. Photo / Willis Bond
Resource consent was granted last year and building consent will be applied for, McGuinness said.
Willis Bond has the sole rights to build apartments in the city's Wynyard Quarter, after winning an international design competition. Mark McGuinness of the company said in December: "All up, we'll build over 600 Wynyard Quarter apartments, worth about $800m."
Plans are shown inside one of the new Catalina Bay apartments. Image / Willis Bond
The 113-unit Wynyard Central and the 51-unit 132 Halsey were finished some time ago. LT McGuinness is now building 30 Madden with 91 units, maisonettes and penthouses.
Since 2010, Willis Bond has spent about $200 million on 16 projects worth about $1.56b. Ventures were formed with Panuku Development Auckland, Kāinga Ora, Hobsonville Land Company (HLC), Wellington Waterfront and Wellington City Council.
