Racecourse Development Scratched
- NZ Empowered
- Oct 3, 2024
- 3 min read
Plan to build 850 apartments on Trentham racecourse scratched
Nicholas Boyack
October 3, 2024
Historic Trentham grandstand is being demolished.
VIDEO CREDIT: Juan Zarama
A bold plan to build 850 apartments on the Trentham Racecourse has been put on hold.
It’s the second major Upper Hutt housing project to suffer a setback in recent weeks, after the Upper Hutt City Council knocked back a plan change that would have potentially opened up land on the hills behind Silverstream.
The two projects would have potentially resulted in more than 2300 new homes in Upper Hutt.
Malcolm Gillies, the developer behind the Trentham project – which also included retail, hospitality and facilities for the racing club – said that in the current market the development did not stack up.
In August 2023, Mayor Wayne Guppy said the Gillies project would “future proof” the racing club and be a major boost to the Wellington economy, saying he hoped to see shovels in the ground in three years.
The project, which received $12.4 million from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, did not have resource consent. Gillies said he still believed the site had potential but with interest rates high and business confidence low, there was no money to be made.
“We are in a different market now, times are tough, and everything is now on hold.”
The club is currently demolishing the main grandstand, which was classified as earthquake prone.
Malcolm Gillies had bold plans for the Trentham Racecourse.
Supplied
Guppy, who is the president of the racing club, said he had not spoken to Gillies but remained optimistic that a development would still go ahead, even if that was “plan B or C”.
Guppy said the racing club neededfacilities to continue to operate and he was confident that something would go on the site.
The main grandstand at the Trentham racecourse is being demolished.
JUAN ZARAMA PERINI / The Post
The club had no choice but to demolish the grandstand, as it was only 8-12% of the New Building Standard and riddled with asbestos. It was an impressive structure with an interesting background but the racing club really only had one option, Guppy said.
“The choices were minimal. The fact of the matter is no one wanted to bring it down.”
Racing Trentham chief executive Tim Savell said his short-term focus was getting the grandstand down and preparing the site for Wellington Cup day in January.
The demolition was going well and in the long term he remained confident the site would be developed.
Racing Trentham chief executive Tim Savell says the main grandstand was earthquake prone and had to come down.
JUAN ZARAMA PERINI / The Post
Trentham had a good relationship with Gillies, and his company was still the preferred developer.
He agreed with Guppy that a way forward would be found. “There are definitely irons in the fire.”
Previous plans for demolishing the grandstand and developing the site would have required the course to have closed, Savell said.
“Doing it this way, we can keep the Wellington Cup here now. We were going to relocate for a couple of years to Palmerston North.”
Demolition is expected to be finished by December.
JUAN ZARAMA PERINI / THE POST
Savell said the original plan had involved Kainga Ora but with the government housing agency withdrawing from many projects, that may have also influenced Gillies’ decision not to proceed.
In 2023, Race Trentham said the five to 10-year plan was to “transform the venue into one of the world’s premier racecourses”.
A delegation that included architects, developers and racing personnel had toured five Australian racecourses, to gain insights to assist with the planning and delivery of the project.
“The basis of the redevelopment is new race day hospitality and operational areas, along with 850 apartments and purpose-built commercial spaces, along with a hotel and associated facilities.”
The grandstand was only 8-12% of the New Building Standard.
JUAN ZARAMA PERINI / THE POST
Gillies hoped the Trentham development would one day proceed but in the current climate, with house prices falling, it was not feasible. A recent development, Back Straight, launched on land next to the racecourse was a tough sell and making money from such developments in the current market was not easy.
