The redeveloped Sarjeant at Pukenamu Queen’s Park is set to open in mid-2024.
Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford said there were a full range of things the council could do to incentivise potential developers.
However, the aim was “not to have any impact on ratepayers in a negative way”.
“It could be giving a hotel developer a bit of a rates holiday, so to speak, whilst they are doing the build. Obviously, they won’t have any customers to pay rates and other things.
“At the other end of the spectrum, [the] council could go in as a partner with a profit-sharing arrangement in place.”
That could potentially have a positive impact on the community because the council would have additional income and be able to charge lower rates, Langford said.
“Then, there are all kinds of things in the middle of those two extremes we could do.
“The need for the hotel is well-established. Everyone knows we need one.
“It’s about figuring out how we can make it happen and who we can get to do it.”
Whanganui Vintage Weekend is held every January. Photo / Lewis Gardner
This month, Whanganui Vintage Weekend Trust chairman Bruce Jellyman said those wishing to travel to the city for the event needed to get in quick when it came to accommodation.
Out-of-town visitor numbers were “getting up well above our capacity”, and 28,000 people attended this year’s event, Jellyman said.
Tripe said the hotel industry was massive across the country.
“It’s mainly focused on the main centres, but there is growing interest from hotel operators to look into the regions.
“We are perfectly positioned to work actively with them to make it happen.”
Last year, a report commissioned by economic development agency Whanganui & Partners recommended a four-star full-service hotel of 60 rooms as the optimal financially viable development for the city.
That report had been updated, and the result strengthened Whanganui’s case even further, Tripe said.
“It would be anything from 60 to 100 rooms.
“From an economic development perspective, both the build and the ongoing attraction of conferences and events take us to the next level.”
However, the council needed to be “clever and smart” about the process.
There were four-star hotels in regional centres across the country, some of which had a mixed model with hotel rooms and apartments, Tripe said
The apartments were sold.
“We need to have the right people in the room. That includes architects and hotel legal experts as well.
“It’s still early days, but we want to move as fast as we can.”
He said the council also needed to focus on housing and homelessness issues.
Being aspirational was one thing, but “the right now” also had to be addressed.
“The current economic climate is very challenging, but it doesn’t stop us from focusing on an exciting future for Whanganui as well.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
