Construction of the new Summerset village in Te Awa has used 16 local businesses and will create 50-70 permanent jobs when fully operational. Photo / Supplied
Construction of the new Summerset village in Te Awa has used 16 local businesses and will create 50-70 permanent jobs when fully operational. Photo / Supplied
The retirement village boom across Hawke's Bay has officially arrived.
Already a popular place for retirement, the number of units the industry is set to construct in the next few years will nearly double the region's offering.
There are currently 1200 retirement units in 20 villages across Napier City andthe Hastings District.
The Retirement Villages Association of New Zealand said data from industry valuers Jones Lang LaSalle shows that there are now 820 units (villas, apartments and serviced apartments) at some stage in the design, consent and construction process across the region.
Three new villages are in the development process: Summerset Palms, Ryman James Wattie Havelock North and Bupa Willowbank Retirement Village in Ulyatt Rd.
Five existing villages are also expanding.
The three new villages will contribute 660 new homes while the five expanding ones will add a further 160 units, adding a further 65 per cent to the city's retirement housing stock.
Retirement Villages Association executive director John Collyns says the developments will boost jobs and provide new homes for residents in the coming years.
"The 820 new units will add around 930 construction jobs with a direct investment value of $66.3 million and a downstream (indirect) value of $196 million.
"Once they're all up and running, a further 450 people can be expected to be employed in the day-to-day running of the villages."
When complete, the Ryman James Wattie retirement village in Havelock North will provide about 160 permanent jobs. Photo / Paul Taylor
One of the new villages is the Summerset Palms Development in Te Awa, Napier.
The development will have 240 independent villas, communal facilities and a rest home building which includes Memory Care for people living with dementia. The main building includes offices, a swimming pool and spa, cafe and care centre set to open in October 2022.
The entire village is set to open in 2024 but Summerset plans to have 20 homes occupied before Christmas.
The construction process at Summerset Palms has involved 16 Hawke's Bay businesses including builders, plasterers, painters and metalworkers, with up to 100 people at any one time working on the construction site.
Once the village is completed and fully operational there will be 50 to 70 jobs.
"It is fantastic to see so many local businesses involved and I have been impressed with the way they have rallied to keep the project on track even with the Covid-19 disruption," Summerset regional operations manager for Hawke's Bay Stuart James said.
The Ryman James Wattie retirement village in Havelock North is another currently under construction.
A Ryman spokesman said it is a "$100 million investment in Hawke's Bay and will provide critical healthcare infrastructure for the area, as well as an economic boost at a difficult time".
Up to 85 per cent of the labour work on a village involves local workers and contractors. Currently 130 on site are local contractors with 160 total workers on site, the spokesman said.
Plans for the finished complex include a 90-bed care centre with rest home, hospital and dementia-level care. The village will also include 78 serviced apartments, 44 independent apartments and 103 townhouses.
When finished it will be home to about 300 people, many of them locals, with some from out of the area who will have moved to be closer to family.
Ryman said a village of this size will provide about 160 permanent jobs when complete and will also support other employment in the region and the local economy.
Executive director of the Retirement Villages Association John Collyns says the developments will boost jobs and provide homes for residents. Photo / Supplied
