Construction on Ormiston Town Centre is progressing well. 

The building under construction, seen on the right side of the drone image, will house the Hoyts Cinema complex and can be found on the first floor of the building. The ground level will include a number of exciting retail stores, and on the upper floor you will find a fitness centre. 

Other major tenants who have announced they will be joining Ormiston Town Centre are; The Warehouse and New World Supermarket. 

One of Auckland’s fastest growing communities is about to undergo a significant transformation, with the construction of a new $200 million-plus town centre being built from scratch in southeast Auckland.

Plans have been unveiled for the Ormiston Town Centre, a newly created urban environment that will include retail stores, restaurants, a gym, movie theatres, a library, an aquatic centre, and a range of public open spaces that will connect to the neighbouring park.

“The Ormiston community is experiencing phenomenal growth, and the Town Centre is going to be a massive transformation for the area,” said Todd Property Managing Director Evan Davies. “It’s going to create an exciting new focal point for the community, and we are really excited to see it begin to take shape.”

Built on a 4.5ha site beside Barry Curtis Park, construction is now underway for the 40,000sqm Town Centre, which will include 100 retail and commercial tenants, a three-level parking structure and four major anchor tenants, including The Warehouse, a HOYTS complex, the existing PAK’nSAVE, and an additional supermarket.

Designed by NH Architecture of Melbourne and Jasmax of Auckland, the centre has a contemporary architectural design, setting it apart from traditional closed-in suburban malls, or big box retail developments. Instead, the Town Centre will integrate seamlessly into the urban landscape via streets, alleyways and public open spaces. Compact and pedestrian friendly, the centre will have a strong focus on food and entertainment, featuring a dining lane, a quality food hall, a restaurant precinct, along with an 8-cinema entertainment complex.

“Ormiston Town Centre is not just about bringing retail to the area. It’s about creating new community spaces, where people can come together to eat out or just relax with friends and family, and its location next to Barry Curtis Park makes it very unique,” Mr Davies said.

Todd Property Group is working in partnership with Auckland’s redevelopment agency Panuku to develop a 19ha site in Ormiston, which includes residential housing and the Town Centre.

Located 24 kilometres from Auckland’s CBD, about two thirds of the overall Ormiston development has either been completed or is underway, including commercial spaces and 63 terraced homes, with another 66 under construction. The area has proved popular with families, with houses currently selling for between $650,000 and $950,000, depending on their size.

Panuku Chief Executive Roger MacDonald said: “This is about taking a greenfield site and turning it into an entirely new master planned community. In time, Ormiston could provide a blue print for how we take other townships in Auckland forward to provide for the growing population.”

Historically a dairy farming community, the population of Ormiston is predicted to balloon by 36,000 between 2013 and 2028 – the size of a town like Gisborne.

Howick Local Board Chairman David Collings said community facilities were a priority for the Ormiston and Flat Bush communities, with a new library planned for the Town Centre and an aquatic centre, along with a variety of transport options, including cycle ways and bus facilities.

Built by Scarbro Construction and Savory Construction, the Ormiston Town Centre is expected to open in 2020.

Most of us give the roads we drive on little thought, but each one has followed a rigorous process to ensure they are safe for us to travel
on. So what does the construction of a new road involve? How does a proposed new road go from planning and design, to construction and opening? Here's a guide to the basics:

STAGE ONE: SITE INVESTIGATION
The first step is to work out whether a new road is feasible. To determine this, a site investigation is carried out to assess existing land use and the nature of what lies beneath the proposed new road.
Information gathered from historical records and a range of experts help to determine what is under the land and whether any significant fault lines are present. Once all the available information is gathered, further investigations are undertaken as necessary. For example, a site may require an archaeological excavation to recover historical and cultural artefacts.

A thorough assessment is conducted to ensure that the site can accommodate a new road. This also identifies any problems, the need for alternative routes, the costs involved and the stability of the ground.

STAGE TWO: PRELIMINARY DESIGN
Once site investigation has been completed, a team of experts are tasked with the preliminary design. This stage focuses on the location of the road, the benefits to the existing road network and any environmental impact.

In New Zealand, all new roads must adhere to the Resource Management Act. This piece of legislation governs the management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. The Act is responsible for protecting the environment and ensuring that any new project is sustainable.

The development of a new road must therefore pay significant attention to any potential impacts on natural resources. A large part of the preliminary design outlines any environmental impacts and the ways in which these will be managed. Ideally, a new road should work with the natural environment and be designed with sustainability in mind.

The preliminary design must also detail storm water drainage and consider the need for public transport access, cycle ways and paths.

All risks and benefits of building on the proposed site must be detailed. Alternative routes may also be identified and included if planners foresee any potential problems with the preferred route.

STAGE THREE: DESIGNATION AND CONSENT
When the preliminary design work is completed, plans are submitted to the relevant authorities
for consideration. Key stakeholders, such as
residents, iwi and local boards are consulted on the development before the new road gets the go ahead.

STAGE FOUR: PRE-CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
Pre-construction work is one of the most fundamental components of building a new road. Much like a house needs solid foundations, so too does a road.

During pre-construction, the site is prepared for the final construction stage. Excavation of the site can include both the removal of dirt and the filling of any areas that need to be built up and leveled. Roads require a substantial foundation, which is why the base layers are as important as the finished surface.

During pre-construction, storm water drainage is installed and any utility works are undertaken.
Upon completion, all pre-construction work must undergo strict inspections to ensure the highest possible safety standards have been adhered to, and to identify any potential problems.

STAGE FIVE: CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY AUDIT
Road surfacing, marking, pathways and landscaping are all part of the final construction stage. In New Zealand, the type of surface laid depends upon various factors such as noise reduction, consideration of using recycled materials and the best surfacing for the type of road. Other considerations may include the volume of traffic on the surface and how much maintenance will be required.

Glenvar Ridge Road is a new road, currently in the final stages of construction, that will connect the existing transport network with the urban development in
Long Bay. This road has been developed by Todd Property Group in collaboration with local authorities to provide a direct route into and out of the area. “The bulk of the Glenvar Ridge Road surface is a stabilising base layer of lime and cement, mixed with natural clay soil, which is around 300mm deep. The middle layer is composed of lime and coarse materials up to 500mm deep. Approximately 50mm of asphalt will form the final top surface,” said Paul Armstrong, Todd Property Development Manager.

During the final construction of a new road everything must be thoroughly tested; from the shape of the road to its strength, every detail must meet strict criteria. When construction is complete, the road must pass a safety audit before it is finally opened to the public.

PROPOSED NAMES for a new road are often submitted early in the planning process. Submitting a list of suggested names means it’s more likely that one or more will be approved
and developers typically allow plenty of time for consideration by relevant stakeholders.
The naming of a road must adhere to an extensive list of rules. For example, in Auckland, road names must be easy to pronounce, spell and write. They are limited to three words (or 25 characters), except in the case of Te Reo names.

A road name must not be considered offensive, racist, derogatory or demeaning, even when translated into another language. Some roads, such as those with five or less addresses, do not need to be named if numbering can be continued from an adjoining road.

Certain punctuation cannot be used in a road name such as a full stop, comma, colon, semi-colon, quotation marks, hyphens or others. Only characters from a standard alphabet can be used, although macrons can be used for Maori names.

Road-naming reports are prepared and submitted to local boards for consideration.
After discussion and consultation, the relevant authority will make a final decision.

Civil works are underway on the block behind the proposed commercial lot. 

Once civils are complete, Fletcher Living will take over the site and begin building 66 terrace houses. The build is expected to commence by the end of the month, with the homes available to the market by mid-2018. 

Civil works is defined as works that involve the design, construction, and maintenance of the site, and can also include works on roading. 

DEMAND FOR HOUSING is steadily increasing and many a discussion can be heard throughout the country about how these new developments will fit in with the existing houses and infrastructure.

Whilst many people can identify a subdivision, few are aware of what a master-planned community is or of the detailed planning that goes on behind the scenes, enabling residents to reap the benefits.

A master-planned community goes beyond the development of a residential suburb. It’s a type of residential plan that includes a range of recreational amenities such as parks, lakes, and cycle paths.

“A master-plan is about creating an attractive, well thought-through, modern urban community, that has considered housing needs, work options and recreational facilities,” says Neil Donnelly, General Manager, Resource Management, at Todd Property Group.

The detailed planning means the successful delivery of high quality communities where the benefits are plentiful. “The first step is to locate and acquire the land, whether greenfield or brownfield, for development. Within that process, you need to take into consideration whether the location is likely to be one in which people want to live and work,” says Neil.
“This needs to be understood over the life of the project and research is critical. For example, you may want to start with nearby residents who are looking to stay within the area, but want a new home, and then consider those looking to make the move from elsewhere.”

The aim is to create a community designed for a mix of potential residents. By identifying any demographical gaps, a master-plan can be created to ensure an inclusive community. Key to this is understanding what type of housing different groups will want, the right mix
of housing types, sizes and price points.

“What amenities is there access to at the moment? Is there a supermarket nearby? Are there sports fields? What transport links are there? Where and what can residents access easily either by walking or driving? These are key questions when master-planning communities. We need to identify anything that’s missing and decide whether it’s best to include any missing elements in the development or work with existing providers to improve and enhance their offering.”

From this research, a conceptual master-plan is created with all of this key information. A detailed master-plan then follows. The detailed master-plan focuses on providing residents with a ‘lifestyle’ via community areas such as roads, footpaths, parks, shopping and eating areas. Implementation of infrastructure such as water, waste, and power is also incorporated.

The detailed master-plan incorporates three key concepts,” says Neil. “Sustainability is about keeping things as green as possible through reduction in travel times, environmentally friendly building processes, and waste reduction. Master-planned communities that are built with the environment in mind are beneficial to the residents, the community and the planet.”

Place making is about differentiating the community from others, and making it special. This is often done through planting themes, road and footpath design, reserve development and street furniture. This highlights elements that aren’t common elsewhere.

“Community interaction is probably the most important concept in master-planned communities. Providing choice in movement rather than prescribing routes is a key.
If people don’t have to go directly from A to B, they’re more likely to lift their head and engage with those coming in the opposite direction. The idea is to encourage people
to engage with the community rather than privatising
all their time.”

Bringing everything together is the final step in executing a master-plan; all the elements that underpin the design such as earthworks, civil works and built form construction. At this point, individual building design and construction are nailed down to ensure that people living and working in the area can create the community.

“Master-planned communities are still a relatively new concept in New Zealand. Homes in these communities consistently outperform the general market due to desirability,” says Neil. “Stonefields in Auckland was one of the first to be developed with many more now underway.”

Nearing completion Stonefields, located on 110 hectares, will soon be home to 6,000 residents and offers multiple housing options, community parks, primary school and wide selection of shops.

Todd Property Group is responsible for the development of Stonefields as well as the Long Bay master-planned community, located on Auckland’s North Shore.