Council media man Sam White says the council spent $2.2m on Gilmore Lodge, a four-bedroom, four-bathroom, two-level property on the corner of Henry and Shotover Sts in December 2021.
At the same time, it snapped up the neighbouring 80sq m property at 2B Shotover St — home to The Bead Shop for the past 19 years — for $1.77m.
White says the council purchased both for use by the Kā Huanui a Tāhuna Alliance, members of which are Waka Kotahi and the council, along with design and construction companies Beca, WSP, Downer New Zealand and Fulton Hogan.
Gilmore Lodge had been owned, for many years, by CCS Disability Action and used as a holiday home — the charity’s subsequently purchased a replacement holiday home in Arrowtown’s Patton Place.
White says part of the site’s needed for constructing the intersection as part of the first stage of the arterial route.
‘‘Use of the building itself since then has not been practical due to the on-site and adjacent construction work which has also restricted access to the lodge.
‘‘Council has an option to use the site as either a residential tenancy or development as part of the [Project] Manawa site once the intersection has been completed.’’
The Bead Shop owner Lee Eliott, however, is looking to sell her business of 23 years after being on a month-by-month lease ever since council…
