Tauranga City Council will pay nearly $30 million after an out-of-court agreement to settle historical defective building claims at an apartment building i
Grainger said Countdown was discussing with Watts and Hughes how and exactly when the contractor could get back to work on the supermarket development. Countdown declined to elaborate on what the delay was, and was still deferring questions on those issues to the city council. Council chief customer officer Chris Dyhrberg previously told
Stuff he couldn’t discuss the cause of the delay while the council worked through the consent – and the council didn’t provide an updated response before this article went to print. Peter Blake said it had been a frustrating wait since the new supermarket was first announced eight years ago.
Smith said the new Countdown was talked up as a convenience for nearby residents and an asset to the city which would create 80 jobs. “But years later, it’s still an eyesore, [an empty lot] I drive past two or three times a day going to work or picking up the kids, and we’re sick of it.” Smith said construction was always touted as a couple of months away. A Countdown spokeswoman said the development had experienced some minor delays with building consent, which the company was working through with the Palmerston North City Council.
Warwick Smith/Stuff
After delays with the Pioneer Highway Countdown, Awapuni resident Mele Ngata says the old Awapuni Tavern would be less of an eyesore than an empty lot. (file shot)