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Apartments and villas in Tauranga CBD’s luxurious $200 million-plus Elizabeth Towers go on sale this week, with thousands of pre-registered potential buyers – many from Auckland – offered the first bite.
Bayleys Tauranga has been announced today as the real estate partner leading the sales in a development described as the “first of its kind” in New Zealand and the largest private build outside Auckland.
CBD leaders say having people living in the apartments will bring a big economic boost for CBD businesses.
The Thirty Eight Elizabeth development, which has dining and retail precincts as well as residences in the towers, has stood on the corner of Devonport Rd and Elizabeth St for four years.
An artist's impression of an Elizabeth Towers apartment.
Its Elizabeth Towers have 96 apartments with one to three bedrooms plus 23 “spacious” garden villas with two or three-bedroom options and multiple configurations available.
The villas open on to the Sky Garden, which developers described in a media release as an “exclusive resort-style sanctuary for residents and their guests to enjoy the best of outdoor living”.
The Sky Garden features an Italian-imported 15m lap pool, spa, gymnasium, a residents’ clubhouse for gatherings and entertaining, barbecue areas, gardening areas and quiet green spaces for lounging.
Tauranga City Council general manager of city development and partnerships Gareth Wallis recently called the building the “crown jewel” of the city centre’s transformation as it helped to deliver “what we needed, when we needed it”.
Demand for luxury homes expected to be ‘high’
In a statement, Bayleys Bay of Plenty general manager Jon O’Connor said demand for the homes was expected to be “high” as they were in the centre of one of New Zealand’s “most optimistic and fastest growing cities”.
“We’re proud to be associated with such a transformational project for Tauranga, and we’re excited to be involved in showcasing this new way of inner-city living and the lifestyle it will deliver for its new residents,” O’Connor said.
“With everything you need on your doorstep, you’ll be able to walk to most amenities, and even to work downtown.”
Bayleys' Jon O’Connor and Andrew Lawrence at Elizabeth Towers. Photo / Alex Cairns
Thirty-Eight Elizabeth and Elizabeth Towers project manager Brett Nicholls said: “We wanted to give those who have followed the build with a registration of interest the first chance to secure their home at Elizabeth Towers – a unique offering that will change the way we think about living in the heart of a city in New Zealand.”
Nicholls said making online viewings for potential buyers was a “priority” due to a “substantial proportion of interest via the website and social media platforms coming from Auckland”.
He said the development offered a “cosmopolitan way of life” with ease of living, premium quality and design, and a secure community.
“We have sincerely appreciated the community enthusiasm for and interest in Thirty Eight Elizabeth [and] Elizabeth Towers and that we’ve been able to act as a catalyst for positive change and other major developments in the heart of Tauranga.”
Apartments and villas in Elizabeth Towers in Tauranga CBD are going on sale this week. Photo / Alex Cairns
A media release said the development was the largest private build outside Auckland and the vision for Elizabeth Towers was to “transform the thinking” about how to “live well” in New Zealand.
The release described the building as nationally representing a “first-of-its-kind mixed-use complex – a place where you can live, shop and dine in one spectacular location. The views are unprecedented across the site”.
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley said Elizabeth Towers was a “premier development” in the heart of the city centre.
“The CBD’s ability to attract these types of developments is a positive sign for the CBD’s future. It will be great to have more people living in the city centre and supporting local businesses, retailers and eateries.”
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley. Photo / Mead Norton
Downtown Tauranga manager Genevieve Whitson said the development was “extremely exciting and unprecedented” because “we haven’t seen anything of this scale before in our city”.
Whitson said Elizabeth Towers could eventually house up to 300 people, providing a “massive cash injection”, supporting economic growth and transforming the city centre.
She said it would be “hugely beneficial” for the city centre, particularly for businesses on Elizabeth St and the top of Devonport Rd which had a “very challenging” 2023.
“The extra revenue that this will drive into the area is welcomed, well overdue and will have a lasting impact.”
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
