A throng of spectators gathered to watch as a huge walnut tree and other established plantings were cut down at a high-profile corner site at 93 Ardmore St, next to Bullock Creek, yesterday.
The roof was removed from the 1950s concrete block cottage on the site and the house itself was scheduled to be demolished this morning.
The 1131sq m property, previously owned by tourism identities the late Gra and Olive West, had a rateable value of $4.22 million when it sold for an undisclosed sum early this year.
The new owner of the property - the last lakefront commercial development site available in Ardmore St - is Ardmore Holdings (Wanaka) Ltd, a company directed by Ashburton accountant Ross Gibson. The shareholder is Whitehouse Nominees Ltd, a company formed by Mr Gibson's accounting firm partners.
The Snow Park had a short-term tenancy to occupy the house as its town office this year, but vacated the property on November 30, a week after non-notified land use consent to develop a 9.2m two-level commercial building at the site was granted.
The consent had conditions attached, including retention and protection of several trees at the site.
Central Property valuer Iain Weir, who is project-managing 93 Ardmore St, said the developers had hoped the old walnut tree could be among those retained, but it was located where the service area for the future building would be and therefore offered "not much amenity value" to the development.
However, timber from the tree, along with heart rimu floorboards from inside the house, would be salvaged.
Mr Weir hoped work on the building could begin in mid-January, with the construction period set down for 32 weeks.
A restaurant, cafe and retail business would occupy the ground floor of the building, while eight office suites would be available for lease on the second level. Tenants for the retail and restaurant spaces had been confirmed.
Mr Weir said landscape plans for the site would upgrade the area "significantly" at a cost of more than $100,000.
The work, including schist walls and a lawn with public seating, leisure areas and paved walkways, would be in keeping with the Wanaka Town Centre Character Guidelines.
In April 2007, Mrs West (then 95 years old) speculated about the property, telling the Otago Daily Times: "I don't know what they will build when I am gone ... No. I know what will happen. They will want to build a great big concrete monster, of course. And all my lovely garden will go.
"That's me - I love my garden. I have a walnut tree in the backyard. It's enormous. I grew that from a little plant."
