Council concluding the deal last week for the sale of 25-27 Bridge Street, the former bus hub, to the Safari Group for a new eight-storey hotel and apartment complex is a game changer for our city.
This will be the largest building constructed in our city for decades. The 54 hotel rooms will lift our capacity for tourism and hosting events. The further 54 inner-city apartments will increase the number of people living in the CBD, adding vitality.
Safari Group has a strong track record of delivering quality developments in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. The major upgrade of the water infrastructure currently underway in Bridge Street that increases drinking water, wastewater and stormwater capacity was essential to securing this investment. The developers also love the new Bridge Street streetscape that will make the area more attractive. The large adjacent Wakatu Square Carpark also works well for the hotel and overnight guests.
This initiative came from our City Revitalisation Summit in 2024. Council sought proposals for this site after relocating the bus hub to Millers Acre. It is being used as a works yard for Isaac Construction for the Bridge to Better project until July 2027.
I commend Council Chief Executive Nigel Philpott and his team on the excellent job in securing this deal with Safari, particularly in the current challenging economic environment. The Council decisions to secure this investment were made in confidential business due to commercial sensitivity, but I thank all Councillors for their unanimous support.
This winter is exceptionally tough, compounded by Iran Conflict and fuel crisis but I am more confident about our city’s future than in years. The future pipeline of investment committed to our city over the next three years is unprecedented.
Alongside this Safari development, we have Morrison Square, the major new greenfield housing Maitahi Village and five central-city affordable housing complexes underway. Council will complete Bridge to Better, the Arts Hub and the Rutherford Playspace over the next year. We also have Government’s massive $600 million redevelopment of Nelson Hospital. Nelson is on the way up.
