Pensioner refuses to budge

Some of the site plans of the proposed Orakei Bay Village do not show Owen Hayward's home.

Village to be built around owner’s home./p>

Developers of a controversial multi-million waterfront village have been told "build around me" by a pensioner who owns the lease to land in the middle of the site.

Luxury apartments at the Orakei Bay Village, near Auckland's popular Mission Bay, are selling for up to $3 million.

But missing from some brochures and drawings of the development is an 11m high building owned by 78-year-old Owen Hayward, who so far has refused to sell. The building will tower over some others in the village.

The impressions surprised Hayward, who owns the building and has the lease on the surrounding land for the next 20 years.

He said the drawings looked like a road went directly through his site.

But a spokesperson for the development, Kerry Knight of Equinox Group, said Hayward's building was hidden behind a tree rather than omitted on purpose. The large home and business was visible on legal site plans.

"It was not done on purpose. It is just impossible to get it accurate at that angle," Knight said. "The site plan is accurate and the photo is as accurate as you can get."

Knight said buyers of the apartments, townhouses and businesses at the 4.6ha site were well aware Hayward's building would stay until his lease was up.

Negotiations had failed over the past eight years. Hayward finally told developers to build around him, which they have agreed to do.

"The latest plans show him staying there until his lease expires, then he's got to pay the knock-down fee. We will do the final stage at that point."

Hayward said he would then be a 98-year-old and "would worry about all that then".

He was always open to negotiations, he said, but it had to be worth the upheaval. The large plot of leased land included his spa pool chemical company Algon, a home above and space for two classic cars he was restoring.

The home has grandstand views over the harbour and city, a central courtyard with a retractable roof, designer kitchen and a deck built around a mature pohutukawa tree.

"We love it here and don't really want to leave because we have the perfect set-up for the business and our home as well," Hayward said.

Knight said he had offered Hayward $1 million off a $1.1m townhouse and said he could stay in his own house at no cost until the development was ready. He said Hayward could rent a warehouse somewhere off-site for his business.

Others in the community voiced concern about the height of some of the buildings and the protection of mature native trees on the site.

The village, designed by architects Cheshire and Jasmax, will cover and integrate the existing railway. Stage one includes 39 three-level townhouses and 47 luxury apartments in two buildings. Prices start at $1.2m and developers said $80m worth have already sold. It will include cafes, restaurants, exclusive retail shops and a medical centre. Work on an underground carpark will start after Christmas.