Takapuna is a coastal suburb of Auckland, cherished for its unique sea and lake location, with vibrant shopping, bustling eateries – and of course the home of Viranda HQ. Having resided at the same address in the heart of Takapuna since 1986, we have witnessed much change and rapid growth.
While some residents wish the essence of Takapuna would stay untouched, a sleepier relative to the city – that was never going to happen. Its central location is irresistible, as is its easy proximity to water based activities, quality education and housing. In fact, REINZ recently crowned Takapuna as Auckland’s fastest-growing suburb (its median house price rose by 30% from $1 million last year, to $1.3 million this year).
All of this buoyancy and activity has opened up a major facelift for the suburb. Here’s a quick snapshot of the exciting projects underway:
TOWN SQUARE REDEVELOPMENT:
Public consultation has shown support for a new town square and revitalization of the central Takapuna car park at 40 Anzac Street. The land offers prime access to the Takapuna beach reserve, fronts onto the main bus terminus, and borders the retail and eateries on Hurstmere Road.
A town square of about 3,000sqm is anticipated, with the balance of land (about 6,000sqm) made available for redevelopment. It’s very easy to see the potential here to capitalise on pedestrian activity. No doubt a visionary developer will celebrate its unique coastal setting and create a safe, accessible and sustainable town centre.
A high quality, mixed-use development to unite the heart of Takapuna? We’re all for it.
HURSTMERE ROAD UPGRADE:
A major facelift of Hurstmere Road is now in the detailed design phase, with construction pitched towards the end of 2019. The vision here is exciting – with improvements to the streetscaping, priority given to pedestrian space and a reduction in vehicle traffic. The street will become one-way, with a drop-off only zone on the beach side of the road and unattractive angle parking replaced with parallel parking.
GASOMETER CARPARK BUILDING:
We might lose carparking at Anzac Street, but construction is well underway for a multi-level carpark building on Huron Street which will offer space for approx. 420 vehicles.
Takapuna, we applaud you – this really is your turn to shine!
