Mr Bishop, also a councillor at the Horowhenua District Council, said he was concerned that lifestyle communities were increasingly built on small lands.
"I identified a gap in the market and I saw the Kimberley site as providing an opportunity for an awesome living space for older people. Grace and grandeur can replace grimness," he said.
The development will have two- to three-bedroom homes along with a community centre.
Facilities such as croquet lawns, a model railway and Riding for Disabled were already there for residents and the community to use.
Shuttles would also drop residents off in town.
"It's not suburbia. It's a park-like rural feel. People don't face the demeaning prospect of selling off most of their possessions to come into retirement. They can bring them here," Mr Bishop said.
Prices of homes range from $315,000 to $356,000 and seven have already been sold.
The development was worth an estimated $150 million and would bring in a potential $750 million to the local economy, Mr Bishop said.
