Wynyard Quarter changes ramp up in 2017

New apartments, construction of the five-star $200 million hotel, offices and transformed streetscapes: expect to see big changes with the urban renewal of Auckland's waterfront Wynyard Quarter in 2017.

The busiest two years in the 20-year regeneration are now in full swing and by the middle of 2016, 13 sites were live. Since then, the new ASB Waterfront Theatre has been opened, along with the heritage Mason Bros. building and work on other sites has proceeded at pace.

When the quarter is fully developed by around 2030, it will be home to about 3000 residents and 25,000 workers.

A spokesperson for the Auckland Council-controlled Panuku Development Auckland which is in charge of the work said a tremendous amount of activity would occur in the area in 2017.

An upgrade and reconfiguration of the heritage warehouse, Mason Bros. building on Pakenham St, has been completed. Architects Warren and Mahoney - which also designed the changes - moved to this building in the innovation precinct in early December.

An engineering consultancy will also tenant that building where three levels of office space have been created. An official building opening is planned for early 2017.

Construction of the $200 million seven-level Park Hyatt Hotel on Halsey St opposite the new ASB Waterfront Theatre began in the middle of 2016.

The hotel will be 29,000sq m with 195 rooms, food and beverage outlets, event spaces, spa, fitness centre and a 25m pool. The building was designed by local architecture firm, Bossley Architects working with Singapore-based AR+D with interior design by Conran + Partners.

The hotel's design is based on the notion of a Maori cloak, "a double skin offering warmth, privacy and beauty", the project's web site says.

A new public walkway will be created between the hotel and the waterfront on the Viaduct Harbour edge, continuing the existing walkway in front of the Stratis apartment buildings and Sofitel Hotel.

The Park Hyatt Auckland will be the first Park Hyatt hotel in New Zealand and is due to open in 2018.

The Panuku spokesperson said the upgrade to Pakenham Street would be complete in early 2017.

The innovation precinct is also to be completed in late 2017.

"Residential offerings by Willis Bond on Daldy Street and 132 Halsey will be completed in early 2018," the spokesperson said.

Those are the 113-unit Wynyard Central between Daldy St and Madden St and the 49-unit 132 Halsey overlooking the Viaduct Basin.

Tenants will also move into the new Datacom headquarters opposite Air New Zealand's world headquarters. This $86.2m headquarters is a 16,735sq m building.

Although all the new and refurbished buildings are all on council-owned leasehold ground, an extremely benign approach has been taken to rents. Tenants pre-pay the ground rent for up to 125 years in advance as part of their up-front occupation deal, avoiding the nightmare shock of five, seven or 21-year rent reviews, as happens in other parts of Auckland such as the Viaduct Basin, Princes Wharf and the 110 properties surrounding Cornwall Park.