Willis Bond & Co has been named as the preferred partner to build the new council administration building.
The city council endorsed in principle the draft Heart of the City Negotiation Strategy, at a confidential meeting on Tuesday.
The strategy will be the agreed approach to the preferred party negotiation stage, beginning in early 2018.
Willis Bond & Co with offices in Auckland and Wellington, is a New Zealand company specialising in property development and investment. Their projects are predominantly large scale, medium to high-end developments based in urban environments and historic precincts. They have a strong focus on waterfront and inner city mixed-use development that combine living, retail, office and parking.
Current and recent projects include Wynyard Central, Catalina Bay and Sunderland at Hobsonville Point in Auckland, and Whitireia WelTec Campus, Chews Lane Precinct and Queen's Wharf in Wellington.
The development partner will work with Tauranga City Council to deliver a new civic administration building, surrounding open space and a hotel and conference centre in the city centre. There is also potential to partner with Council to deliver the Heart of the City aspirational elements such as a new central library, museum and other civic projects.
The council sought Expressions of Interest in May. EOI were evaluated to determine a shortlist to progress to the Request for Proposals stage, which closed on 27 October.
Appointing one of New Zealand's leading property development companies as the Heart of the City preferred development partner is a significant milestone for the Heart of the City programme's objective of working in partnership to create a vibrant, safe and successful city centre, says Mayor Greg Brownless.
12 comments
Was this job put up for a true competitive TENDER
Posted on 20-12-2017 21:53 | By The Caveman
OR was it just handed out ???
is there a song
Posted on 20-12-2017 22:27 | By Captain Sensible
If there is a song with the lyrics "spend, spend, spend, spend, spend, waste , waste, waste, waste, waste someone else's money" then it could become the TCC anthem. Or maybe they could pay a singer a few million$$ to come up with such a song...to give it an extra shot of irony!
Why
Posted on 21-12-2017 07:44 | By waiknot
Do artists impressions never look like the final results.
Utopia
Posted on 21-12-2017 09:32 | By maildrop
I don't see any homeless beggars or burger munchers in the picture. They are all so thin and beautiful. Will the new monocraft beam us to this strange new planet?
Crock of s*!t
Posted on 21-12-2017 09:48 | By thebrad
How come they never hired a Tauranga based Company. Nice TCC you have no shame do you.
Local Support
Posted on 21-12-2017 11:12 | By LovinSummer
Good to see TCC supporting local business!!
Consultants
Posted on 21-12-2017 11:55 | By Christine1965
I wonder if the elected mob made this unusual decision or the highly paid consultants that they seem to prefer using made it.I bet they have paid rates here for years, and contributed to our city, seen it grow and develop. Mmmm maybe not.How about the council give us a reason one or more of the successful commercial building specialists in our area are not the contractor.
@ The Caveman
Posted on 21-12-2017 13:13 | By MISS ADVENTURE
A TENDER? wash your mouth out! of course it wasnt, never was and just handed out. Dont you dare imply that anything has been done according to TCC own policy, thats only there if that suits them and they want to.
Parasitic Heaven?
Posted on 21-12-2017 13:14 | By MISS ADVENTURE
Glass boxes, new and shiny all over teh place and in the end nothing at all to show for it but increasing rates and no sign of any respite.
Consider
Posted on 21-12-2017 13:20 | By Told you
Have we no one in Tauranga who can develop this area?,why cant we support local business.Are we that awash with money that we choose the most expensive.
How is this being funded
Posted on 21-12-2017 14:42 | By sobeit
Larry's museum. $7million to operate. City Heart (no heart for ratepayers ?) say treble that. Plus salary increases,plus ,plus,plus Rick's sky cars. Looks like hefty rates increases. Note no one is saying about cost and it is basic that you know what projects will cost before they get started.Rough guess a 25 % rates increase over and above inflation ? With over half the city on diminishing incomes ? That's just fantasyland
The Caveman............
Posted on 29-12-2017 21:26 | By groutby
just...'handed out'...preferred supplier (at any cost) and all......
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