Jon Hay says demand for apartment-style living in Whanganui will only increase in the future. Photo / Mike Tweed
Jon Hay says demand for apartment-style living in Whanganui will only increase in the future. Photo / Mike Tweed
Waterfront development Bridgewater Quay will be completed at the end of August - and all 20 apartments have already been sold.
Developer Jon Hay said the majority of the units on Taupō Quay had beenbought by Whanganui locals, all of whom would be moving in a month after the apartments were finished.
"It was a more challenging sell in the beginning of the project, because people had to put a lot of faith in what we were saying," Hay said.
"They had to have the vision.
"A number of them couldn't grasp it and didn't proceed, but now they wish they had.
"We've got over 300 people in our database that want to have this type of accommodation in Whanganui, so there's definitely a demand."
The land adjacent to Bridgewater Quay has the potential to be turned into a multi-story apartment and retail complex. Photo / Supplied
Whanganui had been "really flat" for around 15 years, Hay said.
"In some ways that was good, because a lot of sh** developments didn't take place here.
"The next generation of millennial developers are really about quality, so Whanganui is going to be the beneficiary of that, especially along the waterfront.
"I think between here and the [Cobham] bridge, that's where people will live in 50 years' time."
In days gone by, everything had been built "backwards to the river" to allow for rubbish to be washed out to sea, Hay said.
"At the moment it's just concrete works and container storage.
"That's all changing now, especially with things like the beautiful boardwalk. You can walk from here to Castlecliff."
Property Brokers Whanganui branch manager Ritesh Verma said apartment-style living was "pretty normal" in other New Zealand centres, and it would only increase in Whanganui as more people moved to the city.
"In Whanganui, we go down Victoria Ave from roundabout to roundabout until we get a park right outside the shop," Verma said.
"It's just a mindset change.
"Imagine if you've got another 100-odd people living right in town, they'll go for a walk on a Tuesday night and have a wine and a meal.