Herald-Tribune building redevelopment will 'invigorate Hastings'

An artist's impression of how the Queen St development will look from Karamu Rd. Image / Supplied.

A big new development in central Hastings will bring Queens St East into the 21st Century while still maintaining a nod to the past.

The site at the former Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune building will be transformed to "re-invigorate" Hastings, developer Rob Hansen said.

An artist's impression of the new courtyard off Warren St. Image / Supplied.

Demolition of the tower section of the former Herald-Tribune building had progressed well and the developer was working closely with Hastings District Council to help keep the historic facade.

A digger on the roof of the Herald-Tribune building. Photo / Warren Buckland.

"The objective is to complete it in two stages. The tower block will be completed by Christmas and the remainder by the end of January.

"We have engaged an architect and a local landscape designer, who is going to do all our internal courtyard design. It's going to be a lot different sort of environment, with trees, gardens and pot plants, along with seating areas."

A structural engineer would design a way to break out the block walls between the former Hawke's Bay Today building and the adjacent building, formerly used as a health centre.

"We're going to put some glazing in there and are looking to get some pop-up shops and that sort of thing in there."

There had already been quite a few hospitality-based businesses expressing an interest in setting up in the development.

"We've also got quite a lot of office-type tenants and we are working with the council to try and secure some out-of-town, high-tech type of tenants into the building. It's going to be good for the city, it's going to re-invigorate Hastings and put some pride into the place."