An aerial drone image of the ex-Carrington Hospital buildings. Photo / Jason Dorday
An aerial drone image of the ex-Carrington Hospital buildings. Photo / Jason Dorday
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.
Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, said: “Carrington Hospital isa Category 1 historic place and will be adapted for reuse.”
“The pumphouse at the centre of the site will also be adapted for reuse. Other existing buildings on the site will be assessed on a case-by-case basis as master planning advances,” it said.
The highest level of heritage protection has been bestowed on these ex-Carrington Hospital buildings. Photo / Jason Dorday
A spokesman for one of three development businesses about to start building on the site near those heritage buildings said enabling ground works could begin around January. The ex-hospital buildings were highly valued, and certainly no demolition of the historic structures was planned, he emphasised, although additions without heritage status would go.
“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.
A considerable amount of work will be needed to bring the heritage buildings up to standard. Photo / Jason Dorday
“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.
Architectural images of Marutūāhu and Ockham Residential apartments planned for a new suburb near Mt Albert.
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.
