High-life plan for waterfront

A new entertainment strip being planned at the $2 billion-plus Tank Farm will be ready for the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

A spokesman for the project said designers were working on a strip of new buildings to be developed in the Wynyard Quarter.

Restaurant and bar space would be available for lease this year on the inner north-facing waterfront strip between Wynyard Wharf to the west and the Halsey St Extension Wharf on the Viaduct Harbour side.

This strip will be developed on the North Wharf on the northern side of Jellicoe St which crosses the base of the Wynyard Wharf east to west.

"Fishing boats will come and go from North Wharf, which will become a retail and entertainment strip in time for the rugby in 2011," the spokesman said.

"The rebuilding of the wharf will be finished later this year, which is when the first sites will be offered to tenants,.'

But the plans come at a time when many Auckland restaurants have been hit by the economic downturn.

An estimated a 20 per cent drop in hospitality industry income has been attributed particularly to rising living costs.

Project director John Dalzell said the was working in his favour.

"We are taking advantage of a lull in the property cycle to get keen prices for some of the essential infrastructure work and continuing with design and planning.

"We're concentrating on the development of the first marine industrial sites and we are starting to talk to prospective tenants for North Wharf. As we get to a different stage of the property cycle, we will be well placed," he said.

The 20- to 25-year plan for Wynyard Pt redevelopment is being managed by Sea+City for Auckland Regional Holdings, Auckland City Council and the Auckland Regional Council.

ARH owns the 18.5ha Sea+City area extending from the north of Pakenham St to Wynyard Pt.

The planning, development and construction of the headland public space is being managed by Sea+City.

The spokesman said a blueprint was also out for consultation on the marine industry's involvement in the area. This should be finalised in June and made public by September.

"The Westhaven businesses will work co-operatively with a super-yacht construction cluster established at Hobsonville," the spokesman said. "New vessels launched there can have their final fit-out work, commissioning and testing from Wynyard Quarter."