Soho Square Ponsonby

Soho Square site in June 2010.
Construction proceeded as far as the retaining walls and car parking basement slab before ceasing.

Soho Square Ponsonby was a failed development in the suburb of Grey Lynn in Auckland, New Zealand. The $250 million project was announced in 2006[1] and was meant to be a major attraction in the area with apartments, office space and retail areas.[2] Construction started on the site of an old yeast manufacturing plant, but progress was slow and the developers had gone into receivership by the end of 2009.[3] In May 2010 receivers signed a conditional contract with Innovus,[4] this bid failed due diligence and Soho Square was back on the market in August 2010.[5] In 2011 the site was purchased by Progressive Enterprises with a plan to open a supermarket, an underground carpark, and other retail shops.[6][7] As of 2012 the site remains an unused excavated hole.

Planned location and features

The project was planned for the west end of Grey Lynn, Auckland, near Western Park. It was to occupy 1.3 hectares, almost the whole block within Williamson Avenue, Pollen Street and Crummer Road.[1]

The developer website stated that the site would contain 25,000m² of office space, 35 retail shops, 53 apartments and over 1250 undercover car parks.[2]

History of the site

From 1910 the site had been a yeast production plant.[1] The former Dominion Yeast Company site was sold in 2004 by New Zealand Food Industries (now part of the international AB Mauri group) and up until that stage had been producing nearly all of the compressed yeast in New Zealand.[1] The plant has since been moved to Hamilton.[8]

In 2006 the location was bought by the Marlin Group. The resulting proposal was not without controversy, with many in the area protesting the development. In 2008 resource consent was turned down.[9] Protests against the development continued after construction had halted, one included a group of artists using the area as a swimming pool.[10]

The development did not progress any further than the initial excavation for five floors of planned underground car park.[11] After remaining unused for a number of months, this site was purchased by Progressive Enterprises in June 2011.[6] They are currently filling in much of the hole, and plan to open a Countdown supermarket as well as space for retail, offices and underground car parking.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Taylor, Colin (2006-07-01). "Soho Square to rise in Ponsonby". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  2. 1 2 Marlin Group. "Soho - Ponsonby Auckland". Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  3. ↑ Rein, Jocelyn (2009-12-09). "So much for Soho plan". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  4. ↑ Dey, Bob (2010-05-13). "Soho Square sold". The Bob Dey Property Report. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  5. ↑ Dey, Bob (2010-07-05). "Soho sale falls through, back on market". The Bob Dey Property Report. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  6. 1 2 Countdown (2011-06-30). "Progressive Enterprises purchases Soho Square". Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  7. ↑ Gibson, Anne (2011-12-27). "Locals backing move to turn Soho hole into supermarket". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  8. ↑ "AB Mauri - Regions" (Company website). AB Mauri. 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  9. ↑ Gibson, Anne (2009-03-25). "Artists pool resources for 'Sohole' swim". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
  10. ↑ Rein, Jocelyn (2010-04-14). "Soho's plans unfold". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2010-06-18.

External links

Coordinates: 36°51′32″S 174°44′57″E / 36.8588°S 174.7491°E / -36.8588; 174.7491

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