Plans afoot to turn another of New Plymouth's inner-city industrial sites into a housing development – Taranaki Daily News

A new 32-lot residential subdivision in New Plymouth will continue the trend of industrial land making way for inner-city living, one expert says. 
Naki Development Ltd, owned by Darcy and Debbie Keene, of Darcy Keene Earthmoving, have lodged an application with New Plymouth District Council to transform a two hectare site on Carrington St into residential living.
The prime piece of real estate was home to Cambrian Engineering for 90 years until the site was sold and the firm relocated to Connett Rd, Bell Block in April 2017.
If approved, the development would be the third industrial site in the Vogeltown/Brooklands area to be turned into a residential neighbourhood within the last four years. 
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Further up Carrington Rd the former spot of Tenix Robt Stone engineering workshop site is now a 19 lot housing development.
Less than a kilometre away, off Brooklands Rd, the former Fresha Fisheries factory behind St Pius X school is now also a residential development, with house and land packages selling for more than $600,000. 
"It’s definitely a trend," Real Estate Institute of New Zealand Taranaki spokesman Garry Malcolm said.
"There’s certainly a change in the dynamics and as the city grows the industry is getting pushed to where it should be – on the peripheral."
With the CBD only kilometres away and the proximity to Pukekura Park, Malcolm said Vogeltown was a prime spot for residential development. 
Other real estate changes in the suburb included a Countdown supermarket on Hori St, and a 5.5 hectare residential development off Huatoki St.
Malcolm said the potential Carrington St subdivision was a positive for New Plymouth’s property market.
He believed the sections would be snapped up quickly.
"We are seeing a slight slowing of sales in residential sections but anything that’s close to the inner-city generally creates a lot of interest.
"There is a demand for these inner-city subdivisions."
Elite Kitchens owner Sean Rice believed business growth was behind the relocation of most companies from the suburbs to the district’s edge.
"If you want to grow your business you need to be in areas that have larger sections," he said.
Rice moved Elite Kitchens from a site in Strandon to Waiwhakaiho early last year. His new premises is twice the size of his former site.
"We were having to turn down work because we just didn’t have the space in Strandon.
"Businesses are just getting bigger."
Attempts made to contact the Keenes regarding the subdivision were unsuccessful. ​
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