Buyers of the one-bedroom apartments in the The Botanica Living scheme get to choose the colour of their scooters.
Buyers of the one-bedroom apartments in the The Botanica Living scheme get to choose the colour of their scooters.
Free Primavera 50 Vespa motor scooters and helmets are being given away with six "affordable" Mt Eden one-bedroom apartments, for sale from $430,000.
Two free electric cars come with another big apartment scheme where residents will each be issued with keys and must then decide who gets to use thecars and when.
Greg Reidy, managing director of developer McDougall Reidy, said the scooter and helmet idea was for buyers of the smaller places in his Botanica Living scheme because they have no carparks. Those buyers can also choose their own Vespa colour: Midnight Blue, Celeste Blue, White, Roso Dragon Red, Black and Marrone Creta, and the bikes are being supplied by Auckland retailer Motomail in Freeman's Bay.
Although the new apartment block will rise near the Mt Eden Train Station, Reidy said the Vespa idea was an attempt to resolve transport and commuting issues for buyers.
"They cost about $6000 each. We thought it was an option for people to get around the city without using a car. I think it's a good solution. You see it all around the world, in places like Rome, people buzzing around on those," Reidy said.
Greg Reidy says scooters are being offered because the small apartments have no carpark spaces.
McDougall Reidy is in a joint venture with builder Haydn & Rollett to develop the $50 million 67-residence five-level Botanical Living terrace and apartment scheme on Enfield St across from the Horse & Trap craft bar and function venue.
Peddle Thorp designed the block. Construction will start in the next few weeks.
"We have got special housing area status on this so it only took a month to get consent, compared to three to four months without that. The Housing Project Office did a good job - brilliant - and we were thrilled to bits. It took the hassle out of consenting," Reidy said.
The block is a mixture of two-level terrace residences, with upper-level apartments.
Mark Todd of developers Ockham Residential described the electric car scheme for a high-profile block planned on Akepiro St, Mt Eden.
"We will be building 33 apartments this coming spring with just two communal electric cars. There will also be cycle and motorcycle parking. There are 11 two-bedroom units, 21 one-bedrooms units, one live/work unit, together with a large through-site link complete with coffee shop.
"The site is at the city end of Dominion Rd and will be the first larger apartment block outside the CBD to contain no carparking," Todd said.
Apartments would sell from about $350,000 but with an average of about $450,000, Todd said.
Greg Reidy. Photo / Paul Estcourt
Ree Anderson, Housing Project Office director, praised the developers' transport schemes.
"I'm not aware of any others [developers] giving away scooters but we have other innovations like electric cars from Mark Todd, because it's in the city fringe there's opportunities of how to provide transport for people and in this case I understand there's very little carparking and the residents will share electric cars."
New builds
Botanica Living apartments, Mt Eden
•1 bedroom "affordable": from $430,000 (with free Vespa scooters)
11 Akepiro St, Mt Eden •33 apartments planned, starting from about $350,000 •Developer: Ockham Residential •Architect: S3 Architects, won design competition •Residents to share two electric cars •Extensive motorbike and cycle parking •Planned 8-star rating, with solar roof panels [Source: Ockham Residential]
