Northlake developers have submitted plans to create a series of holiday apartments in the subdivision, which is located on the outskirts of Wanaka.

Their submission to the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) proposes two buildings off Northlake Drive, one including ground level commercial space and 13 visitor accommodation units on the second floor, and the second containing another 12 apartments. 

“The Northlake Apartments create an opportunity for short term accommodation, or as a Wanaka base for people that want to be here for certain periods of the year – say the ski season,” spokesperson Sonya Fynmore told the Wanaka App.

Sonya confirmed that the apartments were not a replacement for the Northlake Hotel, which in 2019 was approved for construction after receiving heated opposition from the community.

“[Northlake Hotel] remains in the masterplan for Northlake, however, due to Covid and the impacts on the tourism industry we reprioritised our projects and are focusing on other parts of Northlake at this stage,” she said.

The proposed visitor accommodation is on a much smaller scale than the plans for the approved Northlake Hotel (artist’s impression pictured here), with 25 units rather than the hotel’s 113. 

Both the hotel and the apartments would be located off Northlake Drive adjacent to the existing commercial area, but the latter is proposed for the south side of the road and the former for the green space on the north side of the Monkey Farm cafe.

The apartments would also be made up of two-storey buildings rather than the three for the hotel, and at 25 apartments in total are on a much smaller scale than the 113 rooms planned for the hotel.

Online the apartments are advertised as being available for short term accommodation or ‘lock up and leave’ for use for up to three months at a time.

The resource consent application for the proposed apartments and commercial space at Northlake is currently being considered by the QLDC.

IMAGES: Supplied