Keryn Amon says the space on Taupo Quay will eventually be turned into apartments. Photo / Bevan Conley
Keryn Amon says the space on Taupo Quay will eventually be turned into apartments. Photo / Bevan Conley
The old Whanganui Chronicle printing factory on Taupo Quay will once again be a hive of activity as Creative Aluminium cranks up operations.
Owner Keryn Amon, who is also the Manawatū-Whanganui representative for Platinum Homes and the owner of DML Construction, has bought the building from developer Jon Hay.
Hayis the man behind the Bridgewater Quay development next door.
"The plan long term is to develop some apartments in that space," Amon said.
"It's a pretty amazing spot, and probably too good to have a building of the nature that's there.
"We certainly didn't get it cheap, but we were very lucky to find it. It's hard enough finding residential sites in Whanganui, let alone a purpose-built commercial site.
Tirimoana Place subdivision
The move to Taupo Quay is one of many projects Amon has on the go, not least of which is the Tirimoana Place subdivision on St Johns Hill.
Nine houses have been completed and the owners have moved in, and a further 28 are ready to start or in construction.
"We are a group home builder but we've got covenants in place to make sure we don't have repetitive brick and tile homes where you can't tell whose is whose," Amon said.
"Getting our model to work with a mix of high and middle-end homes has been interesting but the results are really starting to show through now.
"It's turning into a truly gorgeous street."
Keryn Amon in front of the Platinum show home at the Tirimoana Place subdivision. Photo / Bevan Conley
The impacts of Covid-19 had meant waiting times for completed builds had stretched out.
"Everyone that has moved in is loving it, and the ones that haven't (moved in) are more than likely a bit frustrated, but Covid has definitely thrown us a curveball.
"We are having to be nimble in trying to do things a whole lot differently to how we ever have before to get these builds cranking along.
"It's been good for us as a business because it's making us tackle things in different ways."
By the time the initial development was finished, 18 middens (old refuse heaps which can contain items such as shellfish, animal bones, ash and charcoal from fires, and broken or worn-out tools) had been discovered across the site.
Human remains from 200-300 years ago were also unearthed, Amon said.
"Some accidental discovery protocols were kicked in to gear and it worked beautifully well. I have to tip my hat to the local iwi, who were so respectful of those remains.
"An osteologist did a full report, from DNA to ageing to carbon dating, even down to the food this person ate.
"It was a female who had died in her 50s. We managed to find most of her bones and she's now been blessed and marked with a boulder.
"She is now the guardian of the development. She was laid to rest on a really nice flat spot that looks over the sea and the (Whanganui) river."
A commemorative stone is now pride of place at the entrance to the development, set on top of a concrete plinth containing all the discovered midden materials.
A commemorative stone now stands at the entrance to the Tirimoana subdivision. Photo / Bevan Conley
"The iwi wrote a really nice message and that's on a plaque," Amon said.
"It signifies our relationship and who has been there before."
Learning from and working alongside iwi had been something he had really enjoyed, Amon said.
"We have one extra street up there, Tongi Tawhito Place, and the iwi had the right to name it."
The name means 'a site of significance to our ancestors passed down through the generations for our protection'.
New Springvale homes
A 26-lot subdivision in Springvale was also getting under way, with a final sign-on from Horizons (Regional Council) on the erosion and sediment control plan coming through this week, Amon said.
It was now ready to "go full noise".
Keryn Amon's latest subdivision in Springvale is now ready to go "full noise". Photo / Bevan Conley
A busy year was capped by two awards at the national Platinum Homes conference, Amon said.
"We managed to pick up the innovation and growth award and the supreme licensee of the year.
"That's not because we build the best homes all the time, or have no unhappy clients, it's because across the board, we're very diligent and we do as best and as much as we can."
