Sixteen new public homes for Nile St
An artist's impression of the new homes that Kāinga Ora are building on Nile St. Image: Supplied.
Sixteen new two-storey homes are set to be built later this year by Kāinga Ora on the former Masonic Hall site on Nile St in central Nelson.
The Masonic Hall was destroyed by fire in 2019 and the site was purchased by the public housing provider in October last year.
Proposed plans for six two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom homes were shared with neighbours last week and a resource consent application will be lodged with Nelson City Council this month.
Kāinga Ora regional director for Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, Julia Campbell, says the development is “another important step” towards being able to provide more homes for Nelson families.
“Too many people in Nelson are still finding it very difficult to find a place to live, with 261 people on the public housing register in the city,” she says.
“These homes are in a convenient location that is close to shops, schools, and other amenities. There’s also plenty of green space for tamariki to play, so this will be a great place for people and families to call home.”
She says they are still in the early stages of designing the homes and plans could change as they make progress.
“Depending on resource and building consent processes, we expect construction to begin towards the end of this year,” she says.
The Masonic Hall building has been removed down to its concrete slab and foundations.
As the site is historically significant, Kāinga Ora is awaiting an archaeological authority and resource consent before these can be removed, ahead of construction beginning on the site.