An aerial view of the Mana Ahuriri block at Wharerangi Rd, Greenmeadows, with almost a third bought by Metlifecare for a retirement village partnership. Photo / Supplied
An aerial view of the Mana Ahuriri block at Wharerangi Rd, Greenmeadows, with almost a third bought by Metlifecare for a retirement village partnership. Photo / Supplied
Metlifecare has bought about a third of a Napier block owned by Treaty settlement entity Mana Ahuriri for a village of about 150 villas in Greenmeadows.
The purchase of the 6-hectare site at the Park Island end of 42 Wharerangi Rd (between Westminster Ave and Taipo Stream) is the href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/business/metlifecares-335m-expansion-state-consent-for-345m-land-deals/A3PUEPWORBDGHPOUJPJYLYOTKU/" target="_self" rel="" title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/business/metlifecares-335m-expansion-state-consent-for-345m-land-deals/A3PUEPWORBDGHPOUJPJYLYOTKU/">second in Hawke’s Bay for overseas-own Metlifecare, having two years ago confirmed a development for a site off Brookvale Rd, Havelock North.
Te Roropipi, as the Greenmeadows site will be known, was purchased from Mana Ahuriri Hāpai Ltd Partnership (Mana Ahuriri Hāpai), a collaboration between Mana Ahuriri Trust and iwi-owned national property fund Hāpai.
The plan is the latest step in capitalising claims to the Waitangi Tribunal incorporated in the Ahuriri Hapu Claims Settlement Bill enacted in December 2021.
Metlifecare will invest about $140 million to transform the site into what it said in a media release to Hawke’s Bay Today will be a “vibrant” new village offering villas of 2-3 bedrooms, a premium care home, a pool, gym, cafe/bar, library and landscaped outdoor spaces.
Chief executive Earl Gasparich said the partnership marks an important step in the company’s “disciplined, data-led, land acquisition strategy.”
“This acquisition reflects our ongoing focus on securing high-quality, well-located sites that will deliver the best outcomes for future residents and shareholders,” he said. ”Our approach combines detailed demographic analysis, housing market insights, and comprehensive customer research – ensuring every site we add to our landbank has strong long-term potential.”
The layout plan for the Mana Ahuriri block between Wharerangi Rd and Park Island, Stage 1 (lot 700) being the site of the new Metlifecare retirement village. Map / Supplied
Within short distances are Anderson Park, Park Island, and the Greenmeadows New World supermarket and shopping centre.
“We’re honoured to be working alongside Mana Ahuriri to create a village that respects the cultural heritage of the area and offers a connected, enriching lifestyle for our future residents.”
The two parties will work together during the design process, guided by shared values of manaakitanga (care and respect), kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and a commitment to sustainability, including the extensive use of native plantings.
They expect earthworks to start this year, with the first residents anticipated in 2027. Significant employment opportunities are expected during construction and in the village’s ongoing operation.
Mana Ahuriri Trust chairman Te Kaha Hawaikirangi said: “This development represents another exciting opportunity as part of our wider property strategy to deliver positive economic, social, and cultural benefits for our hapū and the wider Hawke’s Bay community.
“The sale of just over 30% of the site to Metlifecare is a cornerstone for our wider development plans for Te Roropipi, which will include the development of a commercial retail precinct, and high-quality housing and sections, all being available to our Mana Ahuriri whānau.”
He said the trust looks forward to the establishment of a village that honours the whenua while providing “a place of belonging for older New Zealanders.”
Work recently started on the first of five developments planned by Mana Ahuriri, being 24 affordable-rental apartments on the site of former army barracks at the corner of Kennedy Rd and Owen St, less than a kilometre from the Napier business centre.
Mana Ahuriri is planning residential development, with some retail aspects, on the remainder of the 17ha site, which stretches east towards Park Island and will, in later stages, have further housing and roading infrastructure.
The acquisition brings Metlifecare’s future development pipeline to 21 sites across New Zealand, with the capacity for more than 1700 independent living units and care suites.
Doug Laing has been a reporter for 52 years, more than 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, at the Central Hawke’s Bay Press, the Napier Daily Telegraph, and Hawke’s Bay Today. He has covered most aspects of general news and sport.
