Quarters Group Ltd developer Chris Broadhead said he was heartened by investor interest in his consented 15-unit accommodation complex and hoped to begin earthworks for stage 1 by winter.
The Timaru-based developer owns a 3172sq m site at 14 Reece Cres.
Each of the 15 units would contain six or seven bedrooms with en-suites.
Mr Broadhead told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the units were listed with the Property Brokers agency recently and were valued between $1.9 million and $2 million.
He was thrilled rental investors wanted to provide housing for the town’s workers or their own employees.
Sale and purchase agreements were already being drafted for units.
"If we meet the threshold [stage 1, four units] the project kicks into gear. I would like the concrete to be down by the winter."
Stage 2 (five units) would start next year. Stage 3 has six units.
If sales were strong, he would consider moving the whole project forward at once.
In 2020, Mr Broadhead got resource consent for a mixed use commercial, residential and visitor accommodation development.
However, after considering Wānaka’s chronic housing shortage he changed tack, reconfigured the layout and removed the visitor accommodation component.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council granted a variation of resource consent last year for the changes.
On December 22, independent council commissioner Paula Costello approved a third resource consent application which addresses parking and access standards, and amends land use and subdivision conditions in the earlier consent and variation of consent.
The 17 carparks had not changed from the original application although the number of bedrooms had increased, Ms Costello said.
Because the development was in an urban environment close to both the town centre and other employment areas, other transport methods could be used.
Changes to the parking layout would have less than minor effects on the wider roading network of Reece Cres.
