Auckland Mayor Len Brown sits down with Herald journalist Corazon Miller to discuss how the Auckland suburb of New Lynn could be the road-map for the future, and the cities social connection problem.
Nearly 2000 new homes - hundreds priced in the affordable range for first-home buyers - are set to be built on the city's western fringe in two major housing developments, the Herald can reveal.
They will be able to accommodate more than 5000 people and will help address Auckland's housing shortage which has driven house prices up by more than 20 per cent in the last year.
The biggest development will be a staged 1800-home project featuring terraced homes and multi-level apartment buildings on the former Monier brickworks site on Rankin Ave, New Lynn.
A masterplan for the 12ha development is yet to be finalised, but property development company Avanda Ltd has lodged resource consent for the project's initial stage. It will have 88 two-to-three storey terraced homes built on a 2.5ha site bordering the historic Rankin Church, which will be offered to the market as soon as late next year.
The large area of land on the former Monier brickworks site on Rankin Ave in New Lynn has been earmarked for development. Photo / Greg Bowker
Project manager Winson Tan told the Herald Avanda purchased the parcel of land last year and was now working with consultants to finalise plans for the entire site.
Mr Tan refused to say how much the company had spent or how the development would be priced. But he said an estimated 1800 homes would eventually be built, housing about 5000 residents. The brick factory still had to be demolished and the rest of the site was being cleared.
"Our focus is to build affordable homes for New Zealanders with modern designs, environmentally friendly, community-friendly and [which promote] urban living."
The development would help address Auckland's housing supply shortage, Mr Tan said. The project would include parks, landscaping, pedestrian paths and cycleways.
The site is in a special housing area which means consents can be fast-tracked and at least 10 per cent of the homes must be affordable and sold to first-time buyers.
The land is zoned for medium- to high-density terraced housing and apartment buildings which could be built to a maximum height of 18 storeys near the town centre and 10 storeys further out.
The housing development is aligned with a major Auckland Council urban regeneration project in New Lynn which includes upgraded public transport links and a multimillion-dollar town centre upgrade.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown said the New Lynn regeneration was part of the council's vision to create a compact, liveable city.
"This is part of developing the urban form of Auckland, it's all about choice, apartment block development, intensive housing development around our main transport hubs," he said.
Meanwhile, Auckland Council has appointed Ockham Residential to build a 52-home development in Avondale's Racecourse Parade - surplus council land that once housed the Suburbs Rugby Club.
The 3500sq m site was marketed by Bayleys and sold for well above its $3.225 million valuation.
The development is part of a wider push by the soon-to-be-established Development Auckland to free up surplus land across the city for private developers to build up to 3000 new homes.
Auckland Council Property Ltd chief executive David Rankin said the Racecourse Parade project was a great example of the council working with developers to deliver new housing "at pace" while providing more affordable homes.
