Plans revealed for Ponsonby development

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Plans revealed for Ponsonby development

24 August 2012: Progressive Enterprises has unveiled plans for its Ponsonby site which will include a supermarket, specialty retail and office building and a mixed use commercial and residential architectural precinct.

The 13,609sqm site located between Pollen Street, Crummer Road and Williamson Avenue was purchased by the company in September 2011.

Progressive Enterprises Property Development Manager Brady Nixon said that many months of planning, design and consultation had gone into the development.

“We have endeavoured to create a high quality development and architectural precinct in what is known as an eclectic and popular part of Auckland.

“Our plans represent a radical departure from former development proposals for the site. The supermarket, specialty retail and office building will occupy only half of the site with the balance being offered for sale as small lots reflecting Ponsonby’s existing environment,” Mr Nixon said.

Cider – A new commercial and retail development

The proposed ‘Cider building’ will offer 14,000sqm net of supermarket, specialty retail and office space on the Williamson Ave side of the site.

The building will consist of four levels of office space measuring 6,600sqm above a 4,360sqm Countdown supermarket. Like all new Countdown supermarkets, the full service supermarket will be designed in a modern and sustainable way, with wider aisles, more expansive fresh produce departments and a range of environmental initiatives such as energy efficient lighting and refrigeration to help minimise the store’s carbon footprint.

The building will also feature five car parking floors below ground level, including 220 dedicated car parks for the supermarket and 950sqm of speciality retail space along the street edges and a cafe.

“We’ve designed the Cider building to be an unreservedly modernist building with the supermarket and office entrances discrete from each other.

“The design is also enriched by the very simple use of good quality materials. The building will be clad in raw concrete, quartz zinc and evergreen glass. These materials are a subtle reference to the site’s industrial history used in a sophisticated way.

“The design aspiration for the project has been to make it look and feel like it’s part of the existing street and characteristics of Ponsonby. We believe we’ve been able to achieve a design that connects to what you can see in any small Ponsonby street.

“The building will be generous in terms of space and light and the views from the commercial offices will be spectacular,” Mr Nixon said.

Vinegar Lane – a new architectural commercial and residential precinct for Auckland

The proposed Vinegar Lane precinct created from the remaining half of the site offers 31 subdivided freehold lots ranging from 74sqm to 400sqm in size.

The Vinegar Lane name acknowledges the site’s former life as the DYC Vinegar factory. Created around a small cobbled laneway, the precinct will have a strong architectural focus and feature a private landscaped courtyard.

“The precinct will contain a carefully planned mix of commercial and residential buildings with clearly defined architectural and urban design expectations,” Mr Nixon said.

Countdown has engaged a range of local architects to develop concept designs for the precinct and how it could look when completed.

“The completed outcome will be a diverse neighbourhood of town houses, terrace houses, small boutique apartment buildings and boutique office buildings where no two buildings look alike.

“Vinegar Lane represents something new to Auckland – one that fits the ethos of inner city living that already exists in Ponsonby. We believe this development underpins the quality and compact intentions of the Auckland Plan. The development has been designed and scaled as one integrated whole and the outcome will be a precinct where locals can work and socialise within walking distance of where they live,” Mr Nixon said.

Interest in the development has been very strong with over half of Vinegar Lane sites pre-sold. Remaining sites are now being marketed for sale through Craig Watkins of Key 2 Real Estate.

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