New waterfront destination for Aucklanders launched

Media release

16 March 2017

CATALINA BAY AT HOBSONVILLE POINT

Vision revealed for waterfront commercial and retail spaces

The development of Auckland’s Hobsonville Point took a significant step forward today with plans revealed by Willis Bond & Co for Catalina Bay, formerly known as The Landing.

Catalina Bay will be a new gateway to the west from the water. The ferry service, along with the ability for boats to anchor nearby in sheltered waters and visit, allows Catalina Bay to become an exciting new waterfront destination for Aucklanders.

Catalina Bay will accommodate a variety of uses including a micro brewery, cafés and restaurants, restored character offices, and an already thriving farmers market. Willis Bond will also develop between 60-80 high quality freehold apartments in this majestic waterfront setting.

Willis Bond & Co is the developer of Catalina Bay at Hobsonville Point, at the heart of the former Hobsonville Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Base as well as the residential developer of the Sunderland precinct, a neighbourhood of 120 new homes and 11-fully refurbished former Air Force homes from the 1930s.

Catalina Bay is home to a number of historic airforce buildings and hangars. These buildings are being lovingly restored in what is stage one of the development.

Wills Bond managing director, Mark McGuinness says that construction has commenced at Catalina Bay and ultimately it is expected to be home to artisan-style food and beverage operations, design and service oriented office tenants and apartments.

“Catalina Bay is a pristine waterside precinct where we will be utilising much of the existing infrastructure, refurbishing to ensure the most modern of facilities are properly housed in a very historic environment. Surprisingly it is highly unusual in Auckland to sit over water and enjoy a meal or a coffee. You will be able to do that at Catalina Bay.”

Mr McGuinness said that some of the character office space being created would be an ideal home for a co-sharing office operation. Co-sharing is a significant global trend in the office market and Auckland has many successful examples in the CBD. Theses operators typically love locating in buildings of great character; these opportunities are rare in Auckland. Catalina Bay via its strong motorway connections and direct ferry link to the city, is an ideal satellite location for a co-sharing operation. Discussions are already underway with potential operators.

There will also be opportunities for pop-up style retail operations to complement the balance of the precinct.

The new offerings at Catalina Bay will be augmented by the already popular Hobsonville Point Farmers Market, which will continue to operate throughout the development of the precinct and will take long term occupation of its new home in mid-2017. The building which will serve as the new home of the market was one of the first to be constructed at Hobsonville circa 1929. Willis Bond & Co will be preserving this building to ensure the heritage of the precinct is not forgotten.

One of the first tenants to occupy the refurbished high-grade office space will be the Hobsonville Land Company who will take occupation in late-2017. Located on the west side of the precinct and overlooking the bay, the premium office space will offer tenants a mix of modern industrial style with the heritage of the existing buildings.

Chris Aiken, CEO of the Hobsonville Land Company says HLC was delighted to be working with Willis Bond on the Catalina Bay development, which was very significant for the Hobsonville Point community, and for Auckland as a whole.

“Catalina Bay will be an important community centre at Hobsonville Point as well as an important access point as ferry traffic grows,” he said. “Plus it will become a significant waterfront recreational and commercial space for the upper Waitemata.”

Stage one of the development will focus on the refurbishment of the existing airforce buildings, including The Fabric Building which is due for completion early 2018. This space will be one of the key attractions at Catalina Bay, offering a unique waterfront dining experience. Intended for a top quality restaurant, visitors will experience the perfect mix of great cuisine in a setting not found anywhere else in Auckland. Willis Bond & Co is currently accepting Expressions of Interest for tenancy of The Fabric Building.

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