Marina View work to cost $16m-plus

Makeover: Marina View apartment complex on Reads Quay is to set for extensive remediation work expected to take 18 months. The 15-year-old building was subject to a claim under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service Act. Picture by Marcus Brunner

Multimillion-dollar remediation of Gisborne's Marina View apartment complex is to start soon.

When the block of two commercial floors and 23 apartments was built in 2007, it did not meet all the requirements of its building consent.

The building has been subject to a claim under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2006.

Issues originally involved weather tightness problems but further investigations unearthed other faults.

Marina View Apartments body corporate chairman Patrick Willock said the base cost of the improvements was about $16m (GST inclusive) but escalating costs due to supply issues could be expected.

An arrangement with the lead contractor had been arranged to help minimise that and other unforeseen costs.

Costs would be covered by individual unit owners all paying a “fair share”, he said.

The Herald understand legal mediation between the council and owners took place several years ago.

Confirmation as to whether Gisborne District Council had settled with Marina View Apartment owners to make payout towards the cost of remediation has remained confidential.

It is estimate that the work will take 18 months but given the possibility of unforeseen problems, it could take up to two years.

“There are a lot of unknowns,” Mr Willock said.

“When they open the building up we have a pretty good idea of what they will find but the condition of the steel might not be what we think it is, or the timber.

“The investigation we did was pretty thorough, but for all that, without pulling the building to bits, you don't know.”

Work will involve re-cladding, re-windowing and installing a new fire suppression system to match new standards, as well as structural issues that need to be remediated.

“They will essentially be new units,” Mr Willock said. “They were always designed to be superior units and its our intention to restore them to that level.

“Clearly neither the council nor us want a repeat of what happened so we have been working pretty cooperatively with the council to make sure that all the issues are signed off and all the correct sign-offs will be in place when the building is finished.”

“I just cannot wait. It's been a hugely stressful time.”

Mr Willock said not many owner-occupiers were in the building. Most tenants had moved out or were in the process of doing so, following a statutory 90-day notice.

“For the past two years, at least for the ones I look after, we have been putting a clause in the tenancy agreement explaining that it will be remediated and at such time they will have to vacate the building.

“In our particular unit the tenants found something quite quickly.”

Some owners have already sold units or put units up for sale, with Bayleys Gisborne having two three-bed, two bathroom units and one two-bedroom unit for sale for $99,000 and $89,000 respectively.

Each has its own car park.

“Each new owner will then be required to pay a remedial levy immediately to the body corporate,” Bayleys Gisborne residential sales representative Ollie Suttor said.

“It's similar to a buying-off plan as the purchaser will be paying money upfront as an investment, with significant improvements being made over 15 to 18 months, with the units potentially having much higher value on completion.”