Mr Reid is the family representative and son-in-law of Wānaka health benefactors Peter and Dee Gordon.
In an interview with the Otago Daily Times yesterday, he confirmed health hub resource consents were lodged with the Queenstown Lakes District Council last week.
Once tenants were confirmed, construction would begin on a 9000sqm section on the corner of Avalan Station Dr and Cardrona Valley Rd, over the road from the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre.
The health centre and two neighbouring aged care and retirement facilities were instigated by Peter and Dee Gordon and opened between 2010 and 2016.
Mr Reid revealed the health hub concepts to the Otago Daily Times yesterday and confirmed the Gordons were keeping a neighbouring 2.4ha section aside for a small hospital project in the long term.
"There are three separate buildings at this [first] stage.
"There is about 3713sqm in terms of letting space and the total site is about 9000sqm. And there is plenty of provision for carparking."
Accessibility had been a key part of design process.
There would be a mix of health and retail tenants, but the entire build was being promoted as a healthcare hub, with room for a day surgery.
Mr Reid said Wānaka was currently focused on urgent concerns such as after-hours care and mental health services, but he believed it was also time to begin thinking outside the square about what a Wānaka hospital could look like.
One option was a private-public model, similar to Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital in Queenstown, that would operate to support Dunstan Hospital.
Dunstan is community owned and operated and 80% funded by Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (HNZ).
Mr Reid has also suggested a community trust scenario.
"I am just very mindful that funding for public health services is scarce. And with so much funding going to Dunedin [Hospital] it makes it very hard."
Mr Reid did not have a ballpark cost for a small hospital.
"This is for the future and everyone has to get their head around how that can work.
"Who knows. In 20 or 30 years’ time it might be different but right now, in the next 10, 15, 20 years that [a community model] seems to be what we are looking at."
At Wednesday’s health forum HNZ group director of operations Hamish Brown said he believed bricks and mortar were not the immediate solution for Wānaka.
Mr Brown said better services and infrastructure were the solution to Wānaka’s health concerns.
