Show suite for new retirement village opens tomorrow

Chris Meehan
Chris Meehan
Queenstown developer Chris Meehan, who launches his upmarket Northbrook Arrowtown retirement village tomorrow, says most buyers in his other villages said they would never move to a retirement village.

Northbrook Arrowtown is beside the first stage of Mr Meehan’s huge Lake Hayes hospitality precinct, Ayrburn, which opened last December.

To be built towards Waterfall Park, it will comprise 142 independent one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, 26 care units and an arrival/amenity building including a cafe, cinema, gym, library, heated pool and salon.

A full-size $1million show suite, depicting the interior design, opens on-site tomorrow.

"We’re not bingo and bowls and all those things you think about when you think of a retirement village," Winton chief executive Mr Meehan said.

"It’s literally like living in a five-star hotel with all your mates, and obviously you’ve got the benefit of Ayrburn within the grounds.

"I like to make the car analogy, and I say the Summersets, the Rymans and the Arvidas and so on are, for the most part, anyway, at the Holden Commodore middle-of-the-road [end] and we’re at the BMW or Mercedes end."

The pricing certainly fits the billing — ranging from $1.36m for a one-bedroom unit (56-75sq m) to $8.5m for a 280sq m penthouse.

About 48 units are being released for sale initially.

He said stage one of construction, due to start next year, comprised the amenity building, the high-care building and the first of three residential apartment buildings.

The first retirees are expected to move in late 2027.

Included in the second stage is an 18-room boutique hotel and function centre by the waterfall.

Mr Meehan recalls visiting Waterfall Park with his family when he was small and watching puppet shows and swimming beneath the waterfall.

"I’ve got very vivid memories of it," he said.

 - By Philip Chandler

 

 

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