Fisheries site to host apartments

A further 12 hotel units and a restaurant are to be added to the revamped Crown Hotel and an office block and apartments will be built in the redevelopment of the prime waterfront Moana Pacific Fisheries site in Ahuriri.
The plans have been revealed by Landmac Holdings director David Mackersey as Moana Pacific prepares to complete a move to a rock lobster and wetfish processing plant on the former Hill Country Beef site in Waitangi Road, Awatoto.
The redevelopment continues what has been a multi-million dollar boom in apartment developments in the seaside suburb.
During the past two years a string of major projects has changed the landscape, mainly centred around West Quay and Pandora.
Thirty-seven townhouses were built to form the "Ahuriri Quadrant", followed by The "Waterfront" complex off Humber Street.
A major 105-apartment complex also sprang up off West Quay on land previously occupied by Napier Wool Dumpers.
A 16-apartment block is at present under construction on the former Williams and Kettle number 5 woolstore and plans are afoot to add more apartments to the Bluewater complex.
However, the latest development will not see the fish processor completely severing its ties with Ahuriri.
Moana Pacific will maintain a retail fish shop, moving next month into one of three shops being built by Landmac in Bridge Street.
Branch manager Terry Gittings, already in the new offices at Awatoto leading up into the completion of the move by late next month, and where extensive renovation has been carried-out over the last nine months, said: "People were thinking we were closing-up shop, but that's simply not true . We are looking forward to completing the two operations so we can continue to be the industry leader in Hawkes Bay."
The 4880sqm Moana Pacific site's link to fishing in Hawke's Bay dates back centuries, to pre-European times, and land in the area was being leased for commercial fish processing at least as early as the 1860s.
The site was developed on a fully commercial basis by the late Wally Watson as Direct Fish Supplies, being taken-over by Fletcher Fishing in 1987.
Mr Mackersey agreed it was logical to reflect the fishing heritage in the restaurant being planned as part of the first stage of the development, construction of which is tentatively scheduled to start in October-November.
The hotel units, restaurant and offices will be part of a four-level development, including a basement car park, with the office building fronting onto Waghorne Street. Apartments are planned for Stage Two.
The new Crown Hotel, which opened last month, already has 24 units.