Up to 100 new homes possible for Rototuna site
Decision to sell council land aims to support medium to high-density housing.
Between 70 and 100 homes could be built in Rototuna North after a Hamilton City Council decision to sell a block of land on Korikori Green. The undeveloped site has been earmarked for housing, a majority of the council’s elected members decided at a meeting last week.
At the meeting, the council agreed to investigate the sale of the councilowned, 8470-square-metre block of land in the new Rototuna North neighbourhood.
The site is across from Te Kete Aronui Rototuna Library and playing fields in the northwest, and Hamilton Christian School to the southeast.
The section is part of a much larger block of land the council purchased in 2008 to develop community facilities in Rototuna.
If a buyer is found, sale proceeds will be used to pay off debt as per the council’s current policy.
Hamilton City councillor and economic development committee co-chair Ewan Wilson said the rectangular block is a special site at the centre of a vibrant community.
“Our intention from the beginning was for this particular site to be used for medium to high-density housing and we’re now in a position to go out to the market and call for expressions of interest,” Wilson said.
According to a council press release, market feedback suggests between 70 and 100 homes could be built across the site.
“We bought land in Rototuna at the right time, used a portion of the land for critical community infrastructure, such as the library, and supplied the land with services that were needed,” Wilson said.
“Now we can sell the balance of the land. That’s an excellent result for
our community.”
The site is located close to Te Kete Aronui Rototuna Library, village shops, Rototuna High Schools and Korikori Park.
Council committed funds for the Rototuna Village in its 2018-28 Longterm
Plan with the aim of creating a vibrant heart for the city’s northeast residents.
Construction of the village began in early 2022 and the library and skate spaces opened in July 2023.
Te Kete Aronui, the flagship building in Rototuna Village, attracted more than 150,000 visitors in its first
six months.
“Through our investment in Rototuna, we’ve helped create a thriving community,” Wilson said.
“Now we’re fulfilling our vision of having more housing in the area, some of which will be affordable housing, and at the same time capture the value uplift in the land.”