Barrage of inquiries for new marina

Interest in Queenstown's new $20 million Frankton Marina is such the developers are likely to start on stage two earlier than planned. Photo: Tracey Roxburgh
Interest in Queenstown's new $20 million Frankton Marina is such the developers are likely to start on stage two earlier than planned. Photo: Tracey Roxburgh
Stage two of the $20 million Frankton Marina, which officially opened late last year, is likely to start earlier than expected.

Lakes Marina Projects partner Alan Kirker said the number of inquiries for the 85 berths in stage one had already outstripped supply.

While he and United States partners Iraj and Nasser Barabi had about 10 years from the date of consent to construct the remaining 100-odd berths, ‘‘we’ll sit down and look next month and possibly start to look at stage two coming on track earlier’’.

Mr Kirker said about two-thirds of the inquiries were from local residents and the rest from people who had property in Wakatipu but did not live there.

One brand new boat from Sweden, identical to one which arrived at the marina in November, was bought by people who ‘‘didn’t know the front of the boat from the back of the boat’’ but decided to invest in one because of the facility.

‘‘We thought ‘if we build it they will come’ and that’s what’s happening, which is great.’’

The lease for an 8m berth costs about $8000 a year, plus GST and operating expenditure.

Mr Kirker said some thought that was expensive, while others considered it a bargain.

‘‘There’s an American chap I know that spends six months of the year in town, he’s got [a berth] on Lake Tahoe ... it’s four times that amount in Lake Tahoe.

‘‘It just depends on who the person is, what their bank balance looks like and what their job is.’’

Inquiries from potential commercial tenants of the four under-construction floating sheds were ‘‘mind-blowing’’, but the developers wanted to take their time to make sure the right mix would go in.

Mr Kirker said the next challenge for the partners was to ‘‘keep [the marina] exciting’’.

‘‘Iraj made a comment to one of the council men six months ago and said ‘it feels like a 10-year pregnancy and now we’re about to give birth to this thing’.

‘‘And I said ‘you know what the hardest thing is now? We’ve got to keep it alive’.’’

tracey.roxburgh@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement

OUTSTREAM