Putāruru Country Estate will include 254 housing units and a major recreation and community facility on a 16ha site on Kennedy Drive. Image / Supplied
Putāruru Country Estate will include 254 housing units and a major recreation and community facility on a 16ha site on Kennedy Drive. Image / Supplied
The South Waikato district draws in another multimillion-dollar investment as the Bartells Group announces a major retirement village development in Putāruru.
The village will be on a 16ha site in Kennedy Drive next to the local golf course, and is set to include a 254-unit village as well as recreation facilities and dementia care.
Work on the $200 million project is planned to start in October.
Putāruru-born-and-bred developer Tim Bartells, of Bartells Group, says the Putāruru retirement village will be his third following the model of Paeroa's Longridge Country Estate and the Amberley Country Estate in Christchurch.
The Putāruru Country Estate will incorporate 254 mixed-size villas of 95-185sq m, and an aged care facility providing a rest home hospital and dementia care.
The development will also include a 2000sq m recreation and community facility with a heated swimming pool, spa, gym, picture theatre, restaurant and cafe, library, doctors' rooms, snooker and pool tables, grand piano, Menz Shed, bowling green and virtual golf.
"It's important to us that our residents have outstanding facilities to enjoy with other residents, friends and family. The site on Kennedy Drive is a very attractive rural setting bordering the Putāruru golf course, and rugby and soccer clubs."
Outgoing South Waikato District Mayor Jenny Shattock says the planned investment was not only great news for Putāruru, but the South Waikato district.
"There are real economic benefits from a big project like this for the community. Apart from creating a lovely place for retirees to live, there are a lot of work opportunities for everything, from earthworks and civil engineering [to] building and construction ... There is also the continuum of work as this project will be ongoing for many years."
South Waikato District Mayor Jenny Shattock and property developer Tim Bartells. Photo / Supplied
The project follows other recent multimillion-dollar investments in the district like the South Waikato Trades Training Centre being built in Tokoroa, and the Olam dairy facility to be developed just south of Tokoroa.
Although Putāruru Country Estate will include hundreds of little villa units, Bartells says he isn't about cramming in as many villas as he can.
"Each villa has more space for outside living areas, lawns and gardens.
"We also put a lot of technology into our villas, with all of them having emergency call buttons ... [and] TV and computer terminals in every room. It is a centralised system that includes fully monitored security systems for our residents' peace of mind."
Putāruru already has a retirement village, consisting of a 106-unit rest home managed by Rangiura Hospital.
The existing Longridge Country Estate in Paeroa serves as a model for the planned Putāruru Country Estate. Photo / Supplied
Bartells sees the new Putāruru Country Estate as complementary to that and is now in discussions with Rangiura chairman Jos Van Loon about how the two businesses can work together.
"Rather than being in competition, I see the services we are offering as complementary and I am very keen to work with Jos and his team to provide the best care possible.
"My mum Pearl was one of the very first residents at the Rangiura Retirement Village and was later in Rangiura Rest Home. The care she received ... in the village and in care was fantastic."
Bartells grew up in Putāruru, going to school at St Mary's and Putāruru High School where he met his partner Jenny Wilson.
