Good progess on Avenue Apartments

Siteworks are nearing completion on the Avenue Apartments project in Mangere, which is due for completion in June 2019. Undertaken by a joint venture between the Du Val Group and Downey Construction the 119 apartment complex offering one- and two-bedroom apartments is around 60 percent sold.
Ken Hight, who is responsible for Du Val’s investment pipeline within the Auckland market, says the company sees South Auckland as a growth area.
“It’s close to transport and an up and coming area,” he says. “There is huge demand for housing and signiﬁcant investment is being made in Auckland Airport so there is a lot happening in South Auckland.’
The Avenues is situated within a gated community in a prime commuter belt at a compelling price point and will be located close to the proposed light rail network.
The Avenue Apartments is positioned just a short 10 minutes’ drive from Auckland Airport and within 12 minutes from the busy industrial employment hub of Otahuhu. Ken says it has been a “design led” project aiming to deliver open spaces and make good use of light and sun.
Designed by Archimedia Group, the buildings will be three storeys high and clad in a mixture of timber weatherboard and lightweight concrete block, with aluminium louvres. The apartments will be double-glazed and utilize energy efﬁcient LED lighting.
Each has a private outdoor living space by way of a balcony or courtyard and residents will have access to multiple communal outdoor entertainment spaces.
A car park is provided for each apartment and on site management plus the fact that the complex is secured with electric gates for vehicle and pedestrian access and CCTV’s cameras strategically located around the site means a secure environment.
Prices start at around $539,000 and qualiﬁed ﬁrst home buyers are able to purchase with a 5% deposit with the remainder due on settlement. Ken says it has been gratifying to see many owneroccupiers purchase in the development.

Du Val Group has ensured low body corporate fees by keeping facilities streamlined and simple making the apartments attractive to ﬁrst home buyers and investors. “There is a real demand for new well insulated lock up and leave style apartments.
People don’t want to spend their weekends mowing lawns any more,” he says. The project is just the latest in a series of successful joint ventures between Du Val Group and Downey Construction.
Other projects completed in South Auckland include 72 apartments in McKenzie Road, Mangere Bridge, 54 apartments in St George Street, Papatoetoe, 99 apartments in May Road, Mangere East and 54 apartments in Central Avenue, Papatoetoe.
Downey Construction Auckland general manager Cameron Puckey says that the Avenue Apartments has been a dream project with few unanticipated challenges from a construction perspective.
He says iIt’s also indicative of the experience that Downey Construction brings to the project. For over two decades Downey Construction has developed and constructed all manner of commercial, industrial and residential construction projects in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Auckland regions.
With vast experience in all facets of design, development, project management and construction, Downey Construction Ltd is known to deliver innovative solutions and the Avenue Apartments is a good example, says Cameron.
“The majority of the projects Downey Construction undertakes are design and build and mostly our own developments. This enables us to deliver buildings of exceptional quality,” says Cameron.
“We don’t push density limits on the site which provides for good quality products and attention to detail at all stages of the project,” he says.
“With the team at Downey Construction coming from a variety of construction backgrounds, the experience we bring to a project is substantial.”

Cameron says the partnership between Downey Construction and the Du Val Group has proved synergistically beneﬁcially resulting in great outcomes.
The Du Val Group was established by the Clarke family and according to Ken is now Auckland’s second largest suburban apartment developer.
Alongside property development and investment, Du Val is committed to providing property focused ﬁnancial advice and education through the company’s ﬁnancial services division Du Val Wealth. The Group also includes the Du Val Foundation, established by the Clarke family to support children in the South Auckland.
“South Auckland is where we work, live and play and it is our desire to give back to the local community.
The Foundation has been established to create education and lifestyle opportunities for those less fortunate and to focus on the necessary measures to aid in ﬁghting our poverty crisis.
“As a newly established charity, we are currently working on a number of different programs to support our cause which we are excited to roll out over the coming 18 months,” explains Ken.
The Du Val Group and Downey Construction also have other projects in the pipeline including a 17 storey apartment complex underway in Manukau called Lakewood Plaza.
Ken believes because South Auckland is starting from a low capital base there is huge room for growth making it a real area of focus for the partnership.
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