94 | DEVELOPMENT Hansen Property Group T T Hugh de Lacy Original surfaces restored in tribute They turned the site of a derelict Hastings building into a vibrant business hub, and it was a project that generated great personal satisfaction for loyal Hawke’s Bay couple Barb and Rob Hansen of the Hansen Property Group. The Hawke’s Bay Herald Tribune complex of buildings had sat derelict for many years and was an “eyesore,” Rob says. The buildings had housed the newspaper of that name but were left abandoned after the Herald Tribune merged with the Daily Telegraph to produce the still-running Hawke’s Bay Today. “The buildings were mostly brick and very quake-prone, and there was an office tower-block that nobody was allowed to go into because of it’s poor structural integrity,” he says. Out of the blue in late 2018 Rob got a call from a real estate agent saying that the property was available to purchase. Barb and Rob acquired the property and started demolishing the least viable of the buildings before finalising a plan for re-developing the site. It was just a little way down Karamu Road from the Hansen Property Group’s offices, and he and Barb, who used to walk past it every day, had seen potential in the location and the character buildings. They had recently undertaken earlier construction projects in Hastings, and they had a strong feeling the area was ripe for revival. “The fundamentals of Hastings felt strong: it’s the service and commercial heart of Hawke’s Bay, and there are lots of beautiful art deco and character buildings,” Rob says. “The adjacent strip of Heretaunga Street • Residential • Commercial • Renovations • Complete Building Solutions 021 802 253 merwin@xtra.co.nz Building & Construction Proudly supporting Hansen Property Group • Development planning • Project Management • Construction Management Stephen Birkhead B.Arch Dip.Arb MBA 027 452 3124 steveb@intarch.co.nz Z Energy Hautapu St. Pierre’s Onehunga Hustler Factory Tribune Redevelopment
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