KEY POINTS:
A 750-space public carpark in Takapuna, part of a 30-storey tower development, will go a long way towards easing an acute shortage of carparks around the town centre.
The office, retail and apartment building is planned for North Shore City Council's old gasometer site.
The council accepted developer Location Group's latest proposal for the site after three years' negotiations.
It will be Takapuna's largest high-rise, on the corner of Auburn and Huron Sts.
"On this under-used site, it will be a boost for the town," said council strategic management chairman Gary Holmes. "It also will go a long way toward addressing the centre's parking squeeze."
Called Merge, the building would have about 58,000sq m of floor space, including the parking, and the second tallest at about 100m.
Cornerstone Group expects to finish its 30-storey Sentinel apartment tower on the same block by Christmas.
Location Group managing director Mark Weipers said a lot of progress had been made on the Merge design, but it was about a year away from the start of construction.
The resource consent application would be notified for public comments, he said.
The building includes more than 3500sq m of shops and restaurants, about 11,300sq m of office space, 105 apartments and a public plaza.
City urban design champion Councillor Chris Darby said Merge was a "catalyst for change" that would bring up to 1000 people to help reactivate the centre throughout the day.
The project included building the public carpark.
"A soulless stand-alone carpark has been avoided, and an enduring piece of architecture will prevail."
