New Pāpāmoa East $4.9m business 'hub' The Hatch gets green light

An artist impression of what The Hatch could look like. Photo / One to One Hundred

Building work on a nearly $5 million business "hub" in a new mixed-use development in Pāpāmoa has been given the green light.

Tauranga City Council approved a consent valued at $4.9m for the base build of a 24-unit commercial development called The Hatch at Pāpāmoa Junction in Pāpāmoa East.

It was the biggest consent approved for June and was part of 194 issued for the month, totalling $54,880,159.

Zaha Capital director Tyler Tabak said 17 out of the 24 units had been sold to a range of business owners, including health providers, mortgage brokers and other investors.

"There has been strong interest."

Tabak said the buyers were mostly existing local businesses, with some from out-of-town.

"The aim is for it to be a bit of a hub of small-to-medium business owners."

The project had been planned since November and Tabak said it was planned for completion in March 2023.

"It is good to get it under way."

The sold-out Pāpāmoa Junction would include 43 sites and was estimated to be valued at $200m once complete.

Scott Adams, managing director of Carrus, which bought the 8.46-hectare site in 2009, said there would be a mix of light industry, office, retail, hospitality and residential.

"It has been a long time coming but Pāpāmoa Junction fills a gap for commercial amenities that have been lacking from this part of town.

"The economic benefits of housing supply, employment and industrial manufacturing will benefit most of Pāpāmoa's residents."

Tauranga City Council manager of building services, Steve Pearce, said consent volumes for June 2022 were slightly down compared with last year but were about on par with 2019 and 2020.

"The drop in value appears to be driven by the absence of any particularly large commercial developments in the past month."

The total number of consents issued was 194, which was above the monthly average for the past 12 months (186).

Pearce said the $4.9m application attached to Turiwhatu St was the month's most significant consent by value.

"By comparison, every month this year has had at least one, if not two, commercial consents with a value of work $10m-plus."

An artist impression of what Manawa Energy's new head office and donor centre for New Zealand Blood Service could look like. Photo / Cube Architecture

Meanwhile, a consent valued at $1.5m was issued for the basement foundations of the new five-storey commercial and office building planned for 93 Cameron Rd.

The building would be the new national head office for Manawa Energy, formally Trustpower, and a new donor centre for New Zealand Blood Service.

Manawa Energy chief executive David Prentice said the name Manawa meant heart and was gifted to them by Ngāti Hangarau.

"It speaks to the heart of our operations, the Kaimai Power scheme; and is a nod to our shared whakapapa with Ngāti Hangarau to the Omanawa River.

"We are committed to increasing our company's connection to te ao Māori and are working with local hapū to incorporate Māori design elements into the new building."

They would also work with Ngāi Tamarāwaho on the interior design elements.

The construction site was blessed by Ngāi Tamarāwaho kaumātua Tamati Tata, supported by Koro Nicholas of Ngāti Hangarau in January.

NZ Blood donor services director Doug Gallagher said work was progressing well for the new purpose-built blood donor centre.

Building consents - June 2022

Major consent applications issued value over $1m

32-44 Turiwhatu St
Construction of a base build of 24 unit commercial development.
$4,900,000

24 Commons Ave
Construct three-level four-bedroom dwelling with attached double garage.
$1,700,000

252 Tasman Quay
Concrete floors, concrete and earthen tank/silo bases and concrete walls for two new storage tanks. Above-ground pumped drainage to existing stormwater. Two steel tanks and piping (not part of consent).
$3,350,000

1254 Papamoa Beach Rd
Construct three-storey, four-bedroom dwelling with attached double garage and retaining wall.
$1,200,000

17 Matemuri Dr
Erect single-level three-bedroom dwelling with attached double garage.
$1,453,400

423 Westbridge Rd
Construct two storey four-bedroom dwelling with attached double garage and retaining walls.
$1,200,000

59b Beach Rd
Erect new three-storey, three-bedroom dwelling with rumpus room, triple garage and retaining walls.
$1,500,000

93 Cameron Rd
Staged building consent application for basement foundations only. The greater project involves the construction of a five-storey commercial and office building (including basement level). Basement level.
$1,500,000

Source: Tauranga City Council