BRITOMART
For a decade while working furiously out of Barfoot & Thompson's Head Office in Fort Street, Downtown I watched with dismay the vacant and deteriorating lovely line of old buildings along Customs Street.
I was pioneering the start of the City Apartment phenomenon and would daily gaze in awe at the potential "Greenwich Village" lying derelict and decaying in the heart of Auckland.
Without boring you with detail on the sometimes absurd schemes floated for the site I will say, at last, the news is all good!
In fact it's fantastic!
I can only detail here information publicly released so far but the scheme looks fabulous and we predict the "BRITOMART PRECINCT' will be a winner of unprecedented style and excitement.
The redevelopment comprises restoring 17 historic buildings (many old wool and shipping stores), constructing 6 new seven and nine storied buildings with skybridges and a 675 space carpark.
There will a café/retail pedestrian street (Te Ara Tahuhu) and two new public squares - Takutai Square and Station Plaza.
The really exciting news is that 25% of the Precinct is destined to be residential living and we see this as the most significant initiative in our market since The Viaduct was opened up around the old fishing wharves.
Look for renewed zest and confidence in "City Living" and a whole new neighbourhood springing up amongst the debris.
Hey, this is our kind of stuff!
Watch this space for regular updates.
Have a great May.
MARTIN
