Strategically-located ‘greenfield’ site holds the key

Strategically-located ‘greenfield’ site holds the key to new urban city

A substantial slice of ‘greenfield’ development land zoned residential, industrial & mixed use in one of Auckland’s newest satellite city centres has been placed on the market for sale.

The substantial 27.56 hectare site just off of Auckland’s North-Western motorway sits adjacent to the burgeoning Westgate Town Centre development currently being built by New Zealand Retail Property Group (NZRPG).

The land is currently utilised as strawberry growing fields, with a large pack-house and retail facility on the side.

The 27.56 hectare site being sold straddles Westgate Town’s commercial/civic block and the general business/bulk retail sector on one side, and a light industry precinct on the other. The site up for sale has more than half a kilometre of street frontage onto Fred Taylor Drive – the main arterial route linking Westgate with State Highway 16.

The major landholding is being marketed for sale by Mike Houlker and Sunil Bhana of Bayleys Auckland through a tender process closing on November 14. Senior sales person Mike Houlker said the property is zoned for terraced house & apartment building, light industry and mixed use as part of the now operative Plan Change 15 and also under the Draft Unitary Plan.

Under the council zoning, Mr Houlker said the land could be split into three separate designations plus open space - featuring 5.8 hectares of industrial space, 2.91 hectares of mixed use space, and 14.25 hectares of terraced housing and apartment building together with 4.6 ha of open space. The three defined zones are available for purchase individually or as one combined landholding including the open space.

“Under the proposed plan the light industry zone on the north-western boundary would be suitable for small service industry premises, light manufacturing premises, logistics, storage, transport and distribution activities,” Mr Houlker said.

“Meanwhile the mixed use zone bordering Fred Taylor Drive is suitable for mixed-use commercial/retail and residential premises typically seen along public transport corridors and major routes. The objective of a mixed-use zone is to provide areas where there is a need for residential and employment activities that do not cumulatively affect the viability of town centres.

“In regards to the terraced housing and apartment building zone, the objective is to locate dwellings around the town centre and amenities in close proximity to the public transport stations and transport routes,” Mr Houlker said.

“The purpose is to make efficient use of land and infrastructure by simultaneously increasing the supply of housing, and ensuring that residents have convenient access to employment, education services, retail destinations, and entertainment opportunities.”

“Low density development is discouraged in the Proposed Plan, while mid-rise multi-unit living is encouraged. Buildings of four to six storeys are allowed – depending on location within the site and proximity to the park and open space areas,” he said.

Approved plans for the adjoining Westgate Town Centre show a 56 hectare development encompassing the construction of a new 47,000 square metre bulk retail and home-fittings/furnishings retail zone, a 55,000 square metre trade-based retail zone, and a 69,000 square metre town centre precinct complete with a new 3500 square metre library.
Social amenities being built in Westgate Town include a bus interchange complex, six hectares of open space including parks and walkways, community rooms, playground and skate park.

Projections from Auckland Council estimate that the overall Westgate Master Plan covering the town centre and surrounding residential, industrial and commercial development will generate 10,000 new jobs, supported by 4000 new residents – with the largest residential area to be within the land being sold by Bayleys.

The Westgate Master Plan is part of what Auckland Council has labeled the ‘North Western Transformation’ – with stage one embracing the huge residential subdivision of Hobsonville Point, and the development of commercial and retail activities around Hobsonville Village on both sides of State Highway 18 linking West Auckland with the North Shore.

The major infrastructure upgrades in the Westgate area make it the largest urbanisation project in New Zealand at present. According to Auckland Council the North West Transformation has an estimated cost of $1 billion.

“The growth being undertaken in this region of the city is phenomenal and will result in a vastly different topography by 2020 from what is there now. It’s the birth of a new satellite city bringing together new housing, employment opportunities, and social infrastructure,” Mr Houlker said.

“The site being sold is merely one piece in this multi-faceted urban jigsaw, but it is a critically important piece to the overall scheme of what is envisaged for the future.”

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Strategically located in the heart of Auckland’s newest sub-city, this 27.56 hectare greenfield site on the market for sale is crucial to the wider evolution of burgeoning Westgate Town Centre.

ENDS

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