The end of Vogel Place will be extended down the bank to provide access to the new land developments below.
Work is about to get started on one of Cambridge’s next big areas of growth and development.
The C3 growth cell – one of several growth cells rezoned for commercial and residential development by Waipa District Council in 2019 – will soon see land development underway with Chartwell Properties starting work on land near Cambridge Road.
The company is one of three key stakeholders in the C3 growth cell – which includes the land between Cambridge Road and the Waikato River, encompassing the four grassy terraces behind Te Awa Lifecare, the Avantidrome and St Peter’s School.
Plans for the C3 growth cell include a shops and up to 800 new homes.
Waipā District Council’s project manager Robin Walker said Chartwell Properties would start development on their upper terrace land close to Cambridge Road soon.
The other developers, St Peter’s School and Te Awa Lifecare Ltd, were still at an earlier stage, Walker said. St Peter’s School had recently put a portion of land up for sale.
The school declined to comment further at this stage and the News could not reach Chartwell Properties for comment.
The C3 growth cell covers land between Cambridge Road and the Waikato River, behind Te Awa Lifecare, the Avantidrome and St Peter’s School.
Te Awa Lifecare confirmed the development was part of the wider Te Awa Lifecare Village project, which began construction three years ago, now with a retirement village, rest home and hospital on site. Further construction will provide more care-suites, cottages and villas.
“Completion of more care-suites, cottages and villas is subject to demand but we expect to be building for another five to seven years,” manager Mandy Hudson said.
Robin Walker said progress was going well in the C3 growth cell. The project will see Vogel Place, at the western end of Vogel St, extended down the bank and along the lower terrace to connect the housing development to Cambridge’s western residential area.
That road will cut through the carpark for Cambridge Riding for the Disabled, which was “concerning” for horses and riders, Cambridge RDA operations manager Vanessa Donnelly said after the announcement, but it would ultimately be good for the long term development of Cambridge.
“It’s progress, we can’t fight it, so we’ll embrace the change, we have to,” said Donnelly. “At least we’ll go from being on the outskirts of town to being in the middle of town.”
Waipa District Council has met with affected residents in the area and says it will incorporate their needs and concerns wherever possible into the project.
Another road is being planned to connect the C3 development to Cambridge Road, near the Te Awa Lifecare turn off.
Walker said the start-date of the Vogel Place road extension would depend on the rate of development inside the 143-hectare C3 growth cell.
Waipā District Council’s project manager Robin Walker.
“The Vogel Place extension project is still awaiting developer intentions,” he said.
The road would “give improved access to the land on the lower terrace primarily for the next stages of development for Chartwell and Te Awa.”
“At present, we are progressing the design for a new intersection which will provide access between Te Awa and the C3 and C2 growth cells. We expect to have gone through the open tender process and be ready to start construction towards the end of this year.”
The C2 growth cell covers 161.6-hectares along Cambridge Rd and about one kilometre down Vogel St and Peake Rd. The cell includes plans for a café, sports centre, cultural centre and possibly a school, pending confirmation from the Ministry of Education.
Their construction is largely market-driven and will go ahead when businesses have indicated their intention to move in.
Development inside the C1 growth cell is already underway with the gigantic APL factory being built in Cambridge North, near the Waikato Expressway.
The 56.7 hectare C1 area includes 35 hectares for the APL factory and its central hub, with another 21.7 hectares earmarked for a supermarket, café, community facilities and other retail services.
