An artist rendering of what 500 Victoria St in Hamilton could look like after the refurbishment.
An artist rendering of what 500 Victoria St in Hamilton could look like after the refurbishment.
Wellington property developers Prime Properties are refurbishing the old Housing Corporation building in central Hamilton.
The seven-storey building occupies a prominent site at 500 Victoria St and was previously home to Telecom, ASB and Genesis, but it’s now getting ready for new tenants.
The upgrades began in April 2024, following a two-year design process after ACC moved to new premises.
The Victoria St building is now available for lease, with refurbishments set to be completed by the end of this year.
Prime property manager Richard Tait said the company was confident about Hamilton’s growth and they decided to refurbish the building to attract tenants.
“This is ultimately a commercial proposal, there’s no point having an empty building – that’s expensive.”
Tait said exterior improvements aimed to enhance the streetscape to make people want to be in the city centre and “feel happier being here”.
He said nearby developments were examples of how the city was changing and becoming more liveable.
“It’s thrilling to see the CBD evolve, with projects like the Waikato Regional Theatre, 500 Victoria St, 18 London St and Mistry Tower all adding to the vibrancy of the area. As new restaurants, retail outlets and office spaces open, Hamilton’s city centre is fast becoming a prime destination for living, working and leisure,” Tait said.
“There’s nothing worse than walking into a town centre with dreary buildings covered in graffiti and no tenants.”
Richard Tait, of Prime Properties, Vanessa Williams, of Hamilton Central Business Association and Mike Neale of NAI Harcourts at 500 Victoria St in Hamilton. Photo / Cate Prestidge
The interior fit-out aimed to make it an attractive place to work, with facilities including showers, bike parking and charging for e-vehicles as well as a ground floor café and a new lobby, he said.
Upgrading the building to have high environmental credentials was a key focus for Prime.
Tait said the choice to refurbish an existing building was the first step towards being environmentally friendly.
He said the company had its scientific engineers look at the 1988 construction very carefully, “it’s a well-built building”.
Other “green” aspects included the installation of an HVAC air conditioning system and LED lighting throughout.
Prime aimed for a high “4 or 5 star NABERS rating” but Tait said this wouldn’t be determined until the building was occupied.
Hamilton Central Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams said there was market demand for high-quality office space in the city centre.
With other developments also under way, she said, “There isn’t just a buzz about what’s going to happen, but a buzz about what actually is happening”.
NIA Harcourts Hamilton managing director Mike Neale is one of the agents marketing the property for lease.
He said the building was ideally suited to a government department as it was “a quality refurb” and far more cost-effective than getting into a new build.
500 Victoria St has yet to announce its first tenants, but they are expected in late June.
Prime Properties also owns the Norris Ward McKinnon Building, known as “The Blue Loo”, and this is set down for refurbishment next.
Williams said the differences between the two projects were “fascinating, as for this one, it’s a do-up to get the tenants, and for that one, it’s going to be a do-up to keep the tenants”.
Cate Prestidge is a principal academic and coordinator of journalism and communication programmes at Wintec.
