The developer of Eleven East, central Papakura’s first four-storey apartment block, says if you raise a place up, people follow.
“Papakura is a genuine place. People talk to you in the street and supermarket, local businesses know your name and there’s a sense something big is about to happen,” Karl Van Der Wat says.
“We could have done a project somewhere else, but we believe Papakura is set to boom.”
Papakura Local Board chair Brent Catchpole serves on the board’s Commercial Project Group, which brings council services and the private sector together to champion the area to developers and drive investment.
“Karl is the sort of investor we want. He’s not interested in whacking it up cheaply and moving on. We’ve worked closely with him and as locals we share his view Papakura has a lot to offer as a great place to live that still has a sense of community.”
Eleven East is designed to cater not only for first-home buyers and investors, but also for those wanting to downsize or with accessibility concerns.
“We have wider doors, turning spaces for wheelchairs or walkers, easy-access bathrooms and kitchens, and apartments that can be future-proofed for changes as you age.
“But that said, we want to create a place where young and old and young live side by side and everyone knows each other.
“We love that Papakura still has that kind of feel, so we’re striving to build a community, not houses people lock themselves away in.”
Catchpole says the value developers bring to an area can’t be overstated.
“Local businesses have benefitted. Tradespeople are local, the real estate agents, lawyers, engineering services, even the signage was done by a local business.
“And they weren’t always the most affordable, which is what most developers go for. Karl was more interested in making lasting relationships that mean businesses get work in the future.”
The apartment building on the former New World site is taking shape, the first apartments offered as the initial part of the project already sold.
Commercial Property Group chair Leigh Auton says Papakura is better placed than many areas to cash in on law changes that make developing higher density housing easier.
“The big section with the garden out the back is out of reach for many people, and others just don’t want that.
“We can’t keep going out, so going up will be our reality. Apartment living is well-established across the city and it’s inevitable in Papakura with our excellent transport links.
“What we are trying to do is to ensure development is quality and adds value to the community.
“Karl and his team have led the way and his belief that big things are going to happen here is already being proven correct, with Kainga Ora very active in the area, and the new development on the former New World site.”
“The notion that social housing is detrimental is wrong. Where Kainga Ora has built, values have risen because older properties have made way for new ones.”
