CHRIS GARDNER
Construction of the largest office building to be developed in Napier in two decades is expected to start shortly.
Accounting and consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers will occupy part of the new landmark building, on the corner of Munroe and Raffles streets, which will be built by Onekawa-based Herbert Construction Ltd.
PricewaterhouseCoopers,
which rents offices on the corner of Raffles and Bowen streets from the Anglican diocese of Waiapu, will occupy one of three office floors in the 4000 sq m building, on a 12-year lease. It also has taken the naming rights.
Jim McIvor, managing partner of the Napier division of the business, said the new office was needed to accommodate the ever-growing multi-national company.
It currently has 41 staff in Napier working under three partners in around 600 sq m of office space, which will expand to 58 staff and more partners working in 980 sq m.
"PricewaterhouseCoopers is heavily investing in Hawke's Bay and people want to come and live here," Mr McIvor said.
"Hawke's Bay is doing so well, as people from overseas want to invest."
The building should be completed in July and fitted out by September next year. It includes two high-speed lifts and is being constructed on land formerly occupied by houses and a doctor's surgery.
The surgery will move into the new building which will be twice the size of one being built for the Hawke's Bay Regional Council in Vautier and Dalton streets by the same construction firm.
Leasing agent Eoin Carty, of Bayleys Hawke's Bay, said the ground floor would be available for retail use. Mr Carty said there was a shortage of quality office accommodation in Napier, as many of the older inner-city buildings had been converted into apartments.
