Precinct Properties' plans for Pumanawa Downtown West: two towers on the Downtown Carpark site. This shows the two new towers to the right, with the Sky Tower on the far right.
Precinct Properties' plans for Pumanawa Downtown West: two towers on the Downtown Carpark site. This shows the two new towers to the right, with the Sky Tower on the far right.
Opinion by Anne Gibson
Anne Gibson, Property Editor for New Zealand's Herald, has been writing about real estate since 1985 and is a skilled and knowledgeable journalist with deep insights into property as well as other businesses.
Precinct Properties on builders for Pumanawa Downtown West and abolishing the flyover, Goodman’s big move, Beca’s tour, Te Reiputa rising and a housing summit – details all in today’s Property Insider.
Pumanawa Downtown West
Planning consent is yet to be granted, but who might build Precinct Properties’ new PumanawaDowntown West twin towers on the Downtown Carpark after it revealed plans with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei?
Chief executive Scott Pritchard said Precinct is considering local, international or a mix of the two for the construction of blocks up to 220m high.
Precinct Properties chief executive Scott Pritchard inside Generator Pipiri Lane, which is opening later this year. Photo / Dean Purcell
He expects the contract to be awarded either later this year or early next year.
He also put the Pumanawa West twin-towers plans into perspective in terms of its effect on Auckland and the waterfront: “Commercial Bay is 80,000 square metres. This is 120,000 square metres so it’s 50% bigger than Commercial Bay.”
What of Precinct’s proposal that the Lower Hobson St flyover be demolished?
Plans for the lower podium levels within the proposed towers. Photo / Precinct Properties
Pritchard said nothing had been decided, but it is most certainly the company’s plans to demolish this bridge. He said that after Quay St had been narrowed to two lanes on the waterfront, the volume of traffic on that flyover had been substantially reduced.
Changes to the downtown area were extremely popular, he said.
“If you ask most Aucklanders to say if Commercial Bay, Te Komititanga Square and Te Wānanga are successful, most Aucklanders would say ‘very successful’,” Pritchard said.
Precinct has other waterfront plans after its deal with Orams Group. Pritchard said the company had taken a stake in Oram’s land and was keen to advance apartment schemes.
In 2022, Orams’ Neven Barbour told the Herald about its big plans for the land.
Neven Barbour, the Orams Marine chief, in front of the apartments (left) and new sheds. Photo / Alex Burton
He said expansion in the area was in the interests of the city and New Zealand.
Barbour said then that the Wynyard Quarter plans were developed more than 20 years ago when architect Patrick Clifford worked on the master plan.
The city had changed significantly since then and it was time people realised more height was required and necessary for businesses like Orams to continue and grow.
Plans in 2022 by Orams for new apartment and boat buildings on Beaumont St. The buildings to the right have now been built. Photo / Orams
Orams is also planning a new apartment building of more than 50m on the most northern end of its site opposite the popular Silo Park. It may enter a joint venture with another developer for this, Barbour said back in 2022.
It seems the marine business found a partner in Precinct so more announcements will be due on that soon.
The $550m Wynyard Quayside by Precinct Properties as at March, 2025. Photo / Precinct Properties
One NZX-listed landlord is going into another listed landlord’s new building.
Goodman Property Trust is leaving 18 Viaduct Ave for Precinct Properties' new Wynyard Quayside in the Wynyard Quarter.
The trust has for some years been in Blackstone space at the KPMG Centre.
James Spence of Goodman says the space in the Precinct building will accommodate up to 54 team members. Photo / Goodman
Staff will go to level eight of Precinct’s new $550 million Wynyard Quayside development: three adjoining buildings at 124 Halsey St and 117 Pakenham St, facing the Viaduct Basin, linked via air bridges.
Goodman chief executive James Spence said: “At around 750sq m, the new offices offer a variety of flexible work spaces that will accommodate up to 54 team members and are similar in size to our current space. We also have a management office at Highbrook Business Park that can accommodate a further ~20 team members.”
The fit-out of Goodman’s new offices is now on, with a target move date during September.
“Just a five-minute walk from the existing office, it’s a vibrant part of the waterfront and staff are delighted to be moving into a high-quality space,” Spence added.
State-of-the-art fit-out
Last week’s Herald article on the first look inside Beca House drew strong interest.
Many outsiders are keen to see inside and Beca says it will show off the new premises in time.
It’s heartening to see state-of-the-art fit-outs like this one.
It’s clever how the advisory and engineering consultancy business showed what it does via interior design, courtesy of the team led by Warren and Mahoney’s Kate Henderson.
Precinct is keen for more tenants.
“We have approximately 4000sq m of office space available on the sixth and seventh floor which offer unique views towards the city. This is a great opportunity for brand visibility and association with the innovative businesses that this area has become well known for,” it says on its website.
First look through Beca’s new offices called Te Paeroa o te Kawau located in the Auckland Viaduct. Photo / Dean Purcell
Precinct also has several retail areas for lease on the ground floor of its new buildings.
“The completion of Beca House marks the final stage of the Wynyard Quarter Innovation precinct. Beca House spans across nine levels and is at 117 Pakenham St West and 124 Halsey St. The design allows the building to seamlessly flow into the adjacent laneways, encouraging connection with surrounding businesses,” Precinct says.
Te Reiputa bites down
Te Reiputa, the new 297-unit build to rent apartment scheme by Simplicity, is rising on Mt Wellington Highway. This shows work as at early March, 2025. Photo / Simplicity
Te Reiputa, Simplicity Living’s 297-home build-to-rent project in Mt Wellington, is on time and on budget, according to co-founder Sam Stubbs.
“Believe it or not, tenants should be living here this time next year,” Stubbs said.
Simplicity has begun an even bigger project in the carpark at Ellerslie Racecourse for 330 homes, he said.
“It’s early days, but it is also on time and on budget,” Stubbs said.
Construction of new Simplicity build to rent apartments in Mt Wellington as at March, 2025. Photo / Simplicity Living
A third project is for 262 units in Morningside and due to start by the end of this year.
“Wonderful to see KiwiSaver funds building lots of homes for Kiwi families. This is how it should be,” Stubbs said.
Te rei puta is translated on Te Aka Māori Dictionary website as “bore with tusks or whale-tooth neck ornament”.
Simplicity supplied information about Te Reiputa’s kupu ingoa.
“The mark of a high chief was one who wore the reiputa (whale-tooth pendant), as the teeth of the sperm whale were highly prized because of their rarity. Usually, these pendants had simply etched out eyes to form a head at one end,” it said.
Construction of the new Te Reiputa apartments with Mt Wellington in the background. Photo / Simplicity Living
Within traditional Māori society whales were not actively hunted, so all whale ivory and bone was sourced from beached whales. In Māori culture, whales were considered gifts of the ocean and believed to be treasures cast on to the beach by Tangaroa (the great god of the sea).
When a whale washed up on to the shores, Māori would use its meat as food, the blubber as preserving oil and the bones and teeth were carved into adornments and weaponry, information from Simplicity said.
Reiputa has a strong association with the naming of Maungarei (Mt Wellington) and hails from Hoturoa, the captain of Tainui waka, as he pays homage to his ancestral maunga.
Housing summit
The Property Council’s residential development summit is next Thursday, March 27, at the Aotea Centre in Auckland. Key sessions and speakers are:
9am: Government update, Chris Bishop–hear directly from the Minister of Housing on development levies, infrastructure funding, and housing growth policies.
9:20am: Residential market outlook, Sharon Zollner, chief economist, ANZ – a deep dive into house prices, construction trends, and economic forecasts.
9:45am: Keynote address, the future of housing by Lucinda Hartley –an urban futurist’s take on micro-apartments, co-living, and smart, sustainable housing.
10:50am: Build to rent –how this model is evolving, with insights from people at CBRE, Kiwi Property, and the Property Council.
11:35am: The future of community housing –Sir Bill English of Impact Lab, Daniel Henderson of Tāmaki Regeneration Company and Kelly Bunyan of Accessible Properties.
1:25pm: Resource Management Act reforms. Legal and planning experts dissect the impact of upcoming changes, featuring Jennifer Caldwell of Buddle Findlay, Dr Mark Davey of Hamilton City Council and Nigel McKenna of Templeton Group. Facilitated by Rachel Morgan, Barker & Associates.
3:10pm: Labour Party update from the spokesman for housing, infrastructure and public investment, Kieran McAnulty, giving the party’s perspective on housing policy and market challenges.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
