Redwood Group Ltd is seeking non-notified consent for the first 39 Kawarau Villas, on two sections at Juniper Pl — in all, 180 units are planned.
The site is a stone’s throw from Wakatipu High School and the shopping centre, and is also handy to bus stops and the Queenstown Trail network.
Auckland-based developer Tony Gapes says the four-stage development has been pulled together at pace and, subject to consent, he is hoping the first homes can be delivered by the end of next year.
All the two-storey units in stage one, arranged into five blocks, will comprise three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a private 12sqm backyard, and a private carpark.
Bike parking’s also planned within the development.
The marketing brochure says the layout and design have been "meticulously curated to ensure full maximisation of the stunning views of the Remarkables".
Being marketed through Bayleys, they’re pegged to attract first-time home-buyers — prices start at $954,000, with some just over $1million.
The higher-priced units have a more private back garden, facing the Remarks.
"They’re very well priced," Gapes says.
"It’s a great spot ... you’ve got all the supermarkets and retail close by, and the schools, so we think we will attract owner-occupiers."
Bayleys sales consultant Matthew Lawrence says there’s "clear demand" for this type of development, based on recent developments and the sales volume.
He believes they’ll also be attractive to "savvy investors", and notes the location’s key, with plenty of sun and close to an abundance of amenities.
Gapes is also seeking year-round visitor accommodation for each unit, to provide flexibility for future owners.
"Personally, I think it’s essential in Queenstown to have it, if you’re buying a residential property."
But, the consent application notes the development can’t operate "as a whole motel" — guests would book through platforms such as Airbnb, managed by future unit owners.
Designed to complement the alpine setting, 17 units will have north-facing outdoor living areas, and 22 will face northeast.
Kawarau Villas, the application says, will provide a much-needed increase in housing supply in Queenstown, and result in the "positive effect of enabling additional development intensity and housing diversity within close proximity to the Remarkables Park Town Centre".
"Intensification and limiting the number of carparking spaces provided will also encourage the use of public transport and active travel."
Meantime, Gapes says Redwoods’ other development, the Coronet Peak Alpine Villas, at Arthurs Point, is almost complete.
Comprising a total of 50 units, in four stages, the 14 units in the first stage should be settled either late this month or early next, with the balance to be settled early next month.
"There’s some civil works to do with the landscaping, courtyards and patios, but the units themselves are pretty much all finished."
While all the units initially sold — all to "non-occupiers", including some out-of-town investors looking for a house near the skifield — two came back on the market, due to a change in purchasers’ circumstances.
Gapes confirms one is under contract with "one to go".
