Physical construction at Whanganui's Bridgewater Quay apartment development now completed

Pre-purchase inspections are taking place this week. Photo / Bevan Conley

A project that began in 2018 is now weeks away from completion.

The Bridgewater Quay development converted the former Chronicle building in Taupo Quay into 20 apartments.

Developer John Hay said "the marathon" was almost done, with pre-purchase inspections taking place this week and Linz (Land Information New Zealand) titles expected very soon.

The apartments were due to be finished at the end of August last year.

"The physical construction is finished and the architect has been through many times, room by room by room, checking if there's a scratch here or a mark there," Hay said.

"There is a lot of fiddly work, it's like a house times 20."

A flood protection wall has been put up around the entire building.

"Originally, we weren't allowed to have residential on the ground floor because of the potential of a flood, even though it's never flooded ever before in 50 years," Hay said.

"We had to make provision for a catastrophe.

"The wall really serves two purposes, flood mitigation and it allows for people to have a courtyard on both sides."

Nineteen of the apartments have been sold, with a two-bed/two-bathroom unit back on the market after a buyer changed their mind.

The inside of the building in May 2020. Photo / Bevan Conley

Purchasers had been "incredibly patient", Hay said.

Covid-19 lockdowns and staff and supply shortages stretched the project out far longer than expected.

"I have mixed emotions, really. Obviously, I'm incredibly disappointed with the delays, but you can only push so hard.

"The purchasers put their hands up and wrote out a cheque for the deposits a long time ago and they supported the project.

"It's just a relief to be completed."

Hay said the nation had been through a couple of strange years, with a couple more to come.

He is now on the Gold Coast, beginning work on an apartment development in Southport.

Australia was grappling with the same construction issues as New Zealand.

"A lot of building companies over here have toppled over and there are stories of building costs shooting up," Hay said.

"If you're trying to get someone to do work at the moment, they just say 'Sorry mate, we've got a full book, we can't even look at anything until mid-next year'."

Hay said he didn't think a lot of young Kiwis wanted to enter the trades at the moment.

"Fifty years ago it was the thing to do, but it's lost its gloss a bit. It's hard to attract people into the building trade."

He will be back in Whanganui soon for one final inspection of Bridgewater Quay.

"I've done a lot of driving around Queensland lately, and it makes you realise that Whanganui really is a beautiful place, with a real potential for more medium-density housing.

"Right around Australia, the single dwelling on a quarter-acre block is really a thing of the past.

"Young architects these days are very much into design. Some of these new apartment buildings can take 20 units, but they look like a single-level mansion.

"Whanganui lends itself to that I think."