Construction has begun on a 2,000 square metre Sea Centre
?It all started out as a bit of a dream, but after the interest we received from people it has grown into this,? said Seaview Marina manager Alan McLellan. Construction has begun on a 2,000 square metre Sea Centre that will contain 11 large spaces, of which seven already have been leased. The marina complex will provide workshops, office space, retail outlets and large boat maintenance facilities on site. Demand for hardstand facilities is increasing and this financial year has shown a record increase for these services. A cafe has also signed up to occupy one of the spaces on Port Road and landscaping and walkways will integrate into the Eastern Bay walkway and the Hutt River walkway. ?It has been a difficult process to develop and advance this project. ?The council has seen the importance of developing this as an asset to its fullest. ?We have grown every year... and every dollar of profit has been ploughed back into the marina,? said Mr McLellan. Hutt City Mayor Ogden said the new Sea Centre marks another very important step in the ongoing development of the Seaview Marina, a council controlled trading organisation. ?Several years ago the office was just a green container down here,? said Mayor Ogden. The aim is to make Seaview Marina the hub for recreational and small commercial vessels. These facilities and the associated landscaping will change the site from a purely boat storage to a more integrated boating and public use area. ?The Seaview Marina is the only facility in the Wellington area which has the space to develop this type of complex. ?In other areas around New Zealand the local infrastructure has benefited from a strong and vibrant marina facility ? Seaview would be no exception,? he said. The development will bring maintenance business to Seaview which is being lost to Marlborough and Nelson at the moment. It will also benefit other service providers and manufactures in the wider Seaview business community.
