Property developer Lloyd Morshuis said when he and Garry Clarke bought the former Montecillo war veterans’ home about three years ago to demolish it to build 17 houses on the Eglinton Rd site, they were met with some criticism.
"We got done for cutting the trees down and a lot of people were very emotional about the main building coming down."
The developers appeased some concerns by revealing the state of the Mornington building’s interior.
Most of the neighbours were "quite happy" with the new housing development, which had more trees than the original site, he said.
"Now that they see what is happening."
The developers had relocated memorial plaques from around the site along the driveway but every plaque had since been stolen, he said.
The developers were building the houses before selling them and could not keep up with demand.
The 17 houses, ranging from two-bedroom to four-bedroom, would be finished in about 18 months, he said.
The build had been more complicated than expected and it was taking longer than planned.
"When you get into two-storey, split level and all that sort of stuff, it takes a bit longer."
