A media statement from Wayne Maxwell, Chief Executive of the KCDC, is below.  We had a brief chat this morning with artist Shona Moller whose gallery is literally a couple of doors away. She says her understanding is the council’s expectation of owner Paul Mulholland, who wanted to build a boutique hotel on the land, to pay for expensive stormwater works made his intentions uneconomic.

According to the Colliers billboard (now bearing a ‘sold’ sticker) the two titles cover a land area of 1,297 m².

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“At a meeting of Council on 26 September 2019, Councillors considered a proposal to purchase two properties at Marine Parade, Paraparaumu Beach.

“This proposal was considered in a public excluded session due to commercial sensitivities on the understanding that the decision would be released to the public once a contract had been completed between the Council and the seller.

“The Council resolved to acquire the land and we have proceeded with contract details.

“In the interim, details of this transaction have been made public and, given the interest, we have consulted with the parties involved, including the site’s tenants, to release further information before settlement.

“The Council has approved a purchase price of $1.43 million for the two lots located at 26 and 29 Marine Parade (with a combined capital value of $1.66 million). This acquisition will be funded from the Council’s strategic property and land budgets.

“Continuing to support the growth and development of Paraparaumu Beach is of immense strategic value. As a destination to view and visit Kāpiti Island, we are already investing in ways to sustain and enhance the character of the area and encourage more visitors.

“One of the initial considerations for the acquisition of the land was to ensure the Paraparaumu Beach Saturday Morning Market could continue in the short-term, if the proposed move to Maclean Street was held up, or was unable to proceed. As things stand, the move is progressing well, and the Market will operate from Maclean Street for the first time this weekend.

Longer-term, the acquisition will support our work to position the district for growth by ensuring a strategic lens in assessing how best to utilise this space.

“This piece of land has the potential to provide strategic options that could complement two projects that we expect to be lodged with the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF).

“The Waiorua Lodge on Kāpiti Island has already received some funding from the PGF to assist with developing a business case for expanding their current facilities on the Island. On the mainland, Council and the community, through the 2018-38 Long Term Plan process, identified the need to establish a Kāpiti Island gateway facility to support visitor attraction and work is currently underway to develop a business case for this proposal.

“It is early days and no decisions have been made about how the Marine Parade land will be used in the future.

“Once the sale and purchase agreement is completed, the Council will undertake further work to look at the feasibility of a range of options, and will consider a way forward.”