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Demolition of a section of shops on Joll Rd in Havelock North will begin at the end of April, marking the start of the building of a new Quest Hotel.
The hotel will feature 40 units, four street-level retail spaces, and car parks, with completion planned for 14 to 18 months.
Despite some disruption concerns, the development is expected to benefit the community economically and architecturally.
*A previous version of this story had the demolition process at four months; it will take four weeks.
Demolition of a row of shops as part of a hotel development in a prime retail spot in Havelock North village is set to begin at the end of April.
The HastingsDistrict Council approved resource consent for the new three-storey hotel in October 2023.
The hotel at 7 Joll Rd will comprise 31 studio units, eight one-bedroom units, and one two-bedroom unit, with space remaining for four retail units at street-level and 11 car parks.
Wallace Development Company is in charge of the project.
Development manager Ryan Schnell said the company was “hoping to get cracking” with the development on April 29, with hopes the project would be finished within 14 to 18 months.
A rendering of the completed Quest Hotel that is being built on Joll Rd, Havelock North.
The demolition process is expected to last four weeks.
Schnell said the new build would be a great benefit to the community.
“It’s architecturally positive for the environment, economically positive for the environment,” he said.
“We’re excited to add to the village, and it does take a few months to do something like this, but the end product’s going to be great.”
Schnell said there would be some disruption in the area of the new building, with road closures and noise, but there would be no permanent disruptions to the village during the build.
“Progress takes time. You’ll see by our development at 15 Havelock Rd, we’ve produced another great asset and we’ve caused minimal disruption, in my opinion. I haven’t actually heard from other people that differ from that. There’s been minimal road closures there,” he said.
“There is going to be a little bit of noise and construction noise and the like, but we manage that all as respectfully as possible.”
A rendering of the completed Quest Hotel that is being built on Joll Rd, Havelock North.
Schnell said because Wallace Development Company was a Havelock North business, they were always aware of their neighbours and the community they operated in.
“We don’t want to distract anyone, disrupt anyone, but you look at those beautiful buildings up on top of Joll Rd, it’s a great addition to the village, and we’re looking to add to that,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be a great building that’s providing accommodation for out-of-towners, business guests, tourists, and we’re looking forward to having four great retail tenants on the ground floor.”
General manager at Havelock North Business Association, Emma McRobbie, said although some in the community had concerns about the delays and the impact on neighbouring businesses during construction, she remained optimistic about the project’s long-term benefits.
“The village serves as a hub of accommodation in the heart of Hawke’s Bay region that offers visitors an accessible CBD to navigate and enjoy high-quality retail and hospitality experiences, all in easy walking distance,” she said.
“CBDs nationwide have faced significant challenges in recent years, so to see that investors are prepared to invest in ours is a positive sign of things ahead for our business community.”
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region.
