Consent process begins for $200m tower block

An artist's impression shows the planned apartment/retail block on the corner of Milford and Ihumata Rds.

Consent is being sought for the first tower to rise above the North Shore's Milford Centre where units will sell from $1 million-plus.

Campbell Barbour, NZ Retail Property Group (NZRPG) general manager, said resource consent had been applied for with Auckland Council for the $200 million-plus retail/apartment tower above the mall's carpark on the Milford Rd/Ihumata Rd corner near the waterfront.

The consent will be processed on a fully notified basis, giving residents and others the right to make submissions on the plans, Barbour said.

The first block will be 11 levels, with a lower podium at the intersection and four levels of carparking.

The first image has been released of that block and Barbour said that followed NZRPG's successful plan change application which allowed for a change of use of the land and set the framework for apartment development and tower heights.

Barbour said notification was needed due to the configuration of the buildings on the site which was outside the district plan rules.

Units in the first block would be up to 120sq m, sold with up to two carparking spaces, and a swimming pool would be developed "so this is resort-style - these apartments are $1 million-plus each", Barbour said.

Twenty shops will be included in a 3000sq m area in the new block.

Neighbours, including the Milford Residents Association, strongly opposed the apartment and mall expansion plans where NZRPG initially sought to build towers up to 16 levels in the area zoned for two to four levels. Residents said the towers were inappropriate for the area and resident William McCandless told the Environment Court in 2013 he was "gobsmacked" developer Milford Centre would propose 64m-high towers when the height trigger was only 11m.

"I am not comfortable with 500-plus new residents living on the same site as the shopping mall that is closed at night and in a town where there is no entertainment, sports fields, infrastructure or a police station to police them," McCandless said.

Bronwyn Carruthers for Milford Centre told the court the suburb was identified as a prime location for intensification, developing 250 units was appropriate and negative effects could be managed.

A second tower is planned, then Milford Centre said it would seek a change to the district plan to allow a third development stage.

It would seek Auckland Council approval of building design and construction details.

Milford mall plans

• 235 apartments in three blocks.
• Rising above existing/extended mall concourse.
• Omana Rd southern tower: 16 storeys.
• Omana Rd northern tower: three portions of varying height up to 8 storeys.
• Milford Rd tower: four portions of varying height up to 11 storeys.
• Up to seven levels of parking.
[Source: NZ Retail Property Group]