Kāinga Ora is pushing ahead with plans for a multi-storey development in Nelson on a site that has been on hold, the existing flats left vacant for more than a year.
The block of 10 bedsit flats on Examiner St have been mostly empty since December 2022, with two used for temporary accommodation.
Kāinga Ora Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast regional director, Julia Campbell, says the redevelopment of the site had been on hold while Nelson City Council considered changes to its district plan.
Last August, the council’s elected members voted unanimously to progress a plan change that would see new residential zones introduced in the city, allowing for varying levels of housing density.
It received 880 submissions on the plan change, with a hearing to be held later this year and a decision on the plan change not expected until 2025.
However, Kāinga Ora has recently informed neighbours of the Examiner St site that it planned to proceed with the project, irrespective of the plan change. Julia says the development is in the early stages but is expected to provide up to 36 homes across two three-storey buildings. There is currently no timeframe for when construction could begin.
It had previously modelled concepts for four, five, and six-storey buildings on the site, which drew the ire of nearby residents.
At a community meeting last July, neighbours raised concerns about the height and density of the development, the impact of parking and traffic on Examiner St and other neighbouring streets, the shading of other properties and the safety of pets.
Residents also asked for more information about who would live in the development once it was completed.
Kāinga Ora had also purchased a neighbouring site on Wellington St that would be incorporated into the new development. Julia says they will keep neighbours and stakeholders informed as the development progresses.
