What new three-storey Kāinga Ora apartments on the corner of Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd will look like. Photo / Supplied
What new three-storey Kāinga Ora apartments on the corner of Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd will look like. Photo / Supplied
Picking the right tenants will be key if new high-density central Rotorua apartments are to succeed, locals say.
Kāinga Ora has revealed plans to put two three-storey apartment blocks on the corner of Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St, creating 24 one- and two-bedroom apartments for those in need.
People got to look through the plans and walk through the housing development yesterday at a drop-in session at the site.
What new three-storey Kāinga Ora apartments on the corner of Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd will look like. Photo / Supplied
Eight of the apartments will be accessible to people with greater mobility needs. There will be lifts and stairs for each building and all apartments will have a deck area, double glazing, heating, curtains and carpets.
There will be 22 car parks, plus mobility scooter and bicycle parking. Landscaping, including large feature trees, will be included on the site.
As part of stage one, there will also soon be three two-storey buildings, each with four one-bedroom homes. These will be delivered on to the site by the middle of the year.
Soon to arrive will be three two-storey buildings, each with four one-bedroom homes. Photo / Supplied
The two three-storey apartment blocks, which would be placed on vacant land on the corner of Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St, consist of 12 apartments and each would be made up of one- and two-bedroom dwellings.
It is the first time three-storey apartments have been built in the area and it is Kāinga Ora’s intention to have them completed by the end of 2025.
There were already 25 stand-alone homes with backyards and decks on the site, completing stage one of the development. Once stage two is complete, it will mean there will be room for 61 households in total on the 2ha site.
What new three-storey Kāinga Ora apartments on the corner of Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd will look like. Photo / Supplied
Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy said by building up to three storeys, more people could enjoy the location close to jobs, schools, services, shops and open spaces.
“Our intention with these quality architecturally designed buildings is to showcase higher-density housing done well, with apartment buildings and landscaping which sit well on the corner of this site.”
Residents take a look around the new Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St Kāinga Ora development. Photo / Andrew Warner
Toy said Kāinga Ora considered building higher but it was mindful of the concerns the community had shared in the past about housing density.
“Three-storey residential apartments are new to this area and we want to show the community what good design at three storeys looks like, and how well apartment living like this can work.”
Toy said Kāinga Ora would carefully match people to the homes.
“We know having the right people living well alongside each other is key to having a strong and connected community.”
Toy said there was high demand in Rotorua for smaller one- and two-bedroom homes and many people liked not having grounds and gardens to look after.
He said they expected the apartments to suit older people, couples and small whānau groups.
People spoken to by the Rotorua Daily Post looking through the apartment plans and the existing homes at the drop-in session yesterday were positive about what they saw.
Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry, who was at the session, described the houses already there as “lovely” and said it was important for students to live in quality homes so they can do well.
He said he hoped Kāinga Ora would keep schools informed of who was coming to ensure everyone could work together to make people feel welcomed and supported.
“There’s already enough pressure on these people.”
Glenholme resident Jean Neame. Photo / Andrew Warner
Glenholme resident Jean Neame said there were a lot of gardens in the area and it was important they were kept nice. She wondered if the new apartment buildings would block the sun from the north for the homes already there.
Neame said she was pleased to see some garden boxes for growing vegetables near the communal building but would like to see a playground or at least some play equipment for children on the green space.
Rotorua resident Manuel Tarapi. Photo / Andrew Warner
Manuel Tarapi from the neighbourhood said everything looked “very nice”.
“Hopefully the people who come here know the importance of keeping it well looked after. It’s lovely to see these houses on here because for so many years there was nothing on this land,” Tarapi said.
Social services worker Ray Hawira was impressed with the development. Photo / Andrew Warner
Ray Hawira, who works in the social services sector, told the Rotorua Daily Post he knew the run-down state some of the other public housing stock was in.
“I’m not a fan of apartments but it is a roof over their heads. Us Kiwis are used to our own space but it’s better than living in a motel.”
Rotorua man Murray Piesse said the apartments were not a place for children.
“If you pick who lives in them like the elderly it might be okay. Families would be better in the houses [currently on-site that have backyards]. It’s got to be better than motels because they’re not mixing with other motel guests and they are built to healthy home standards. I just have a concern for the children and where they are going to play.”
A Kāinga Ora spokeswoman at the session said there were no immediate plans for a playground on the site but yesterday’s session was about people making suggestions they could seriously consider.
The Rotorua Daily Post asked Toy how the apartment-style living was better than motels and he responded: “This is a planned and high-quality housing development built to meet urban design standards. Individual homes are insulated, have double glazing and private garden areas, or shared outdoor spaces, all of which help support people to live well together.”
Restore Rotorua chairman Trevor Newbrook, whose lobby group fought the proliferation of emergency housing in Rotorua, wasn’t at the drop-in session but told the Rotorua Daily Post it was great Kāinga Ora was building more houses as it was always preferable to motels.
However, he had some concerns.
“Three-storey buildings on that area is going to be quite out of place, two-storey would have been better.”
Newbrook said he was always concerned about the placement of tenants and how the impact on neighbours would be considered.
“What happens if they [tenants] are a disappointment? Will they move them out?”
Newbrook said Rotorua had a history of standing up for itself, shown by the recent fight against large numbers of emergency housing clients, and he looked forward to holding Kāinga Ora to its word that it would put tenants in the homes who would live well together.
“I want there to be guarantees they will do something if they [tenants] become a problem.”
Prior to Kāinga Ora buying the site, it had been empty since 1988 after previous owners’ plans, including building a church and a high-end housing complex, didn’t eventuate.
