Richard Cashmore, spokesman for the developers, told the Bay of Plenty Times the plans initially included luxury apartments and a hotel.<\/p>\n
\u201cCovid killed the hotel. In fact, we were sort of almost at the stage of … signing an agreement with the hotel chain to build a hotel and then along came Covid, and that was the end of new hotels.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was now a commercial property for office space, with retail and hospitality on the ground floor, he said.<\/p>\n
Cashmore chaired the group of five Tauranga families who owned the site.<\/p>\n
He said stage 1 of the project was the demolition and underground works, which were finished about 12 months ago.<\/p>\n
During stage 1, \u201cmost things that could go wrong went wrong\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we had Covid, we had a lot of asbestos in the building, which we didn\u2019t realise was there when we were demolishing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce we completed the first stage and started the second, it was like flipping a switch, and everything\u2019s gone right.\u201d<\/p>\n
A seven-storey office building at 2 Devonport Rd in Tauranga is under construction and is planned to be finished by the end of the year. Photo \/ Jo Jones<\/p>\n
Cashmore said stage 2 was \u201cfrom the ground up\u201d.<\/p>\n
The second and final stage was \u201cgoing really well\u201d and \u201call on time\u201d, with glass work being installed.<\/p>\n
Cashmore said the building would be finished by the year\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re talking to some potential tenants now for the ground floor space.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cashmore said an extra 600-700 people working in the area would have \u201cimmense\u201d benefits for the CBD.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s waterfront, it can never be built out, and we see it as the prestigious building in the Bay of Plenty.\u201d<\/p>\n
A design render of 2 Devonport Rd from Wingate Architects. Craigs Investment Partners will be the anchor tenant. <\/p>\n
Craigs Investment Partners founder and director Neil Craig said it had about 250 employees at its Cameron Rd and Harington St offices, all of whom would be based in the new building at 2 Devonport Rd.<\/p>\n
He expected to move in early 2027.<\/p>\n
Craig said building delays during Covid, fortunately, \u201chaven\u2019t inconvenienced us too much\u201d, and both landlords extended their leases.<\/p>\n
He said 2 Devonport Rd would be a \u201cprominent landmark in Tauranga and well worth the wait\u201d.<\/p>\n
Craig said it would occupy the top three floors of the building, including client meeting areas and conference facilities on the top level.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Tauranga employees are looking forward to working together in one fit-for-purpose workspace that will allow better collaboration between staff and better support of business and client outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
A design render of 2 Devonport Rd from Wingate Architects. <\/p>\n
Wingates managing director and architect David Wingate said the office levels offered \u201cnear 360-degree views of the harbour and Mount Maunganui\u201d.<\/p>\n
The building included 20 basement car parks, secure bicycle parking and \u201cend-of-trip facilities\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
Wingate said flexible ground-floor areas were designed to accommodate up to three hospitality tenancies. There would also be an outdoor seating area with views across Tauranga Harbour.<\/p>\n
He said Tauranga Moana meant an anchorage and \u201csafe harbour to land waka\u201d.<\/p>\n
Wingate said the building\u2019s design was \u201cinspired by the bow of a ship\u201d and responded to its setting within Tauranga Moana.<\/p>\n
Priority One chief executive Dave Courtney said it had been exciting to see 2 Devonport Rd \u201crise quickly out of the ground\u201d in the past few months.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny prime development like this should be celebrated as it will help increase commercial activity within the city and support the wider economic growth of our region.<\/p>\n
\u201cA quality office complex like this will attract new businesses back into town, boosting the capability and capacity of local-based talent, and increasing downtown foot traffic \u2013 which will support the retail and hospitality sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Views from partway up the seven-storey office building at 2 Devonport Rd in Tauranga which is under construction. Photo \/ Jo Jones<\/p>\n
Courtney said the development should be seen in the context of the wider construction programme underway in Tauranga and was \u201canother quality development that adds to the positive momentum of the city centre as a whole\u201d.<\/p>\n
Last year, Tauranga City Council staff moved to an eight-storey eco-building at 90 Devonport Rd in the CBD.<\/p>\n
The council is leasing the building from Willis Bond and paying an annual rent<\/a> of $6,129,511 plus $313,352 for 65 car parks.<\/p>\n