Lab service hails $25m specialist project

By Graham Skellern
A specially designed $25 million medical building opposite Tauranga Hospital in Cameron Rd will likely house all of the Medlab laboratory services and a group of specialist doctors.
Avenue Property Developments has taken four years buying 13 houses on nine titles, totalling 6500sq m, between 18th Ave and 19th Ave.
Many of them were former Housing Corporation houses and the last one was bought just days ago.
The ageing homes will be put up for tender and removed from the site by early next year, making way for the start of a modern three-level medical building, providing floor space of 7800sq m.
Neil Hamilton, a co-director of Avenue Property Developments, said he hoped to have the building finished by the end of next year.
"Over the last three to four years I've been approached by medical people and realised there was a real need for a building like this in the city. Being right across the road from the hospital I'm confident it will be 100 per cent tenanted by the time it's finished," he said.
Avenue Property Developments has an initial agreement with Medlab Bay of Plenty, which wants to take at least one floor of 2600sq m, and amalgamate its operations, presently spread over three sites.
Mr Hamilton said a group of specialist doctors could establish consulting rooms in the building, and the remainder of the space could be taken up for medical administration.
Privately owned Medlab, which started out in Grace Rd nearly 50 years ago, has been looking for new premises to meet the latest accreditation standards.
"We are proposing to be the main tenant if everything goes according to plan," Medlab general manager Dianne McQueen said. "It's not ideal having to drive back and forth between sites - it doesn't affect turnaround or quality but having all the laboratory services under one roof does create better efficiency."
Medlab, owned by 10 pathologists, won't fully commit to the new building until it hears whether its hospital contract has been renewed by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board. The pathologists expect to hear any day now.
Medlab, which now employs 200 people fulltime and part-time, moved into its First Ave premises 20 years ago.
The company established its second laboratory, for biochemistry, immunology, haematology and blood transfusion, at the hospital when it got the contract in 1996.
As the business grew, Medlab moved its administration and cytology department to Elizabeth St two years ago.
Ms McQueen said the new state-of-the-art laboratory would generally be open-plan and multi-skilled and cost more than $5 million to set up.
"It's an excellent site being so close to the hospital," said Ms McQueen. Medlab operates 24 hours, seven days a week and up to 90 staff will work in the new Mark Tatton-designed building at one time during the busiest periods.
Avenue Property Developments' planning consultant Connell Wagner is lodging a resource consent application with Tauranga City Council on Monday.
The developer expects the application will be notified publicly and hopes a hearing can be held by the end of the year.
The building on residential-zoned land exceeds the permitted 9m height by just over 2m and nearly 200 car parks will be provided - including one level underground. The developer will consider building another level underground if the hospital wants to lease some carparks.
Mr Hamilton said he had received no objections from the neighbours when they heard how much parking will be provided and there will only be an exit for cars on to 19th Ave.
His firm will also pay for new traffic lights at the intersection of Cameron Rd and 18th Ave, allowing motorists to easily turn right into the accident and emergency department.