Former UCOL site to be transformed

The old UCOL (Polytech) site is being prepared for demolition and conversion to Te Puna Hapori. Photo / Paul Brooks

The first steps are under way to develop what will become Te Puna Hapori.

The Te Puna Hapori team have released a concept image, which shows a potential vision for the former UCOL site as a wellbeing hub, providing a range of whānau-centric community and wellbeing services.

“It’s exciting to see work under way, and also to get a sense of what Te Puna Hapori may look like in the future,” says Te Puna Hapori governance group co-chairman Ken Mair.

The development of a police hub and courthouse in Whanganui are just part of the wider plans for the site.

Te Puna Hapori will create a community wellbeing hub that provides a range of whānau-centric community and wellbeing services across high-quality buildings and spaces.

Te Puna Hapori is both an iwi-led and community focused wellbeing vision for Whanganui, and the name of the kaupapa and physical site.

“This will be a hapū and iwi-centred, design and development process, and the kaupapa supports the elevation of whānau across all parts of the project.”

The site is in Whanganui city, bordered by Liverpool, Bell, Dublin and Wicksteed streets. Rangahaua marae is in the northern corner of this site.

Over the past several weeks, McMahon Services NZ Ltd have been on site and work has begun in preparation for removal or demolition of a number of existing buildings. This has included looking at what can be salvaged as the project, driven by a sustainable ethos, aims to achieve a NZ green star rating at all stages of the work.

Construction is expected to begin later this year.

Timeframes for the project are being worked through and are reliant on consenting processes and the availability of construction firms.

“We will soon be going to market to find a construction partner for the development of the site,” Mr Mair says.

“Whanganui iwi, New Zealand Police, the Ministry of Justice, and the Whanganui District Council have been working in partnership to achieve Te Puna Hapori’s vision, ‘Toitū te Whānau’ - uniting to improve the wellbeing of our whānau and community.”