The end is finally in sight for developers behind the $20million Frankton marina - almost a decade after planning began.
Developer Lakes Marina Projects (LMP) has commissioned contractors to build 187 floating berths, 17 floating sheds, a breakwater, a 156-space car park, as well as other structures at the Sugar Ln site.
''It's a lot different than I suppose what you would call a normal marina anywhere.
''Floating buildings again, that's a pretty unique sort of thing.''
Contractor Fulton Hogan was undertaking the civil construction works, and Bellingham Marine was performing the offshore work on site.
Mr Kirker said there was still a lot of work to be done before the marina was ready to open, which he expected to happen by about October.
Workers are now preparing the ground for a cobblestone path along the front of the development and topsoil for planting around the site.
They were also working on setting up the floating berths before they can be built on.
Developers have received considerable interest in the berths, which would be leased out at a minimum of about $8000 a year once installed.
''I don't think everybody has realised yet that we've got quite a few large boats coming in from abroad,'' Mr Kirker said.
''This will be creating some sort of employment for some.''
The footpath along Sugar Ln has been refurbished and visitors would also have access to footpaths along the lakefront and through the marina once the project was complete.
Mr Kirker said the only really challenging part of the build was the retainer wall on the lake edge.
The type of ground and length of the piles being driven into the ground caused a minor setback but he said ''now everything is straight-forward''.
''They've had a good run on everything else so they've pulled it back.''
Some contractors would be leaving the site in March and returning after a couple of months to complete the project.
Mr Kirker is a 10% partner of LMP, and Iranian-born entrepreneurs and brothers Iraj and Nasser Barabi own the remaining 90% of the company.
Work on the development, which followed an agreement with landholder the Queenstown Lakes District Council, started in November 2017.
