A start on the Harbour Central Marine Precinct could be made sometime next year says Richard Kinzett at Priority One.
The feasibility study has been completed and KPMG is undertaking a review of the financial component before the business model is finalised and presented to prospective investors.

What it might look like.

'We have a number of local and national institutions who have expressed an interest in getting involved with harbour central,” says Richard.
'But we are just not in a position to engage in a proper discussion with them until we have completed the business case.
'We should be in a position to do that before the end of the year.”
The project replaces the former 600 tonne slipway which was removed and sold to make way for the second harbour bridge. When the slip disappeared so did the work it brought – the regular maintenance slipping that mid sized commercial vessels require and the local jobs that generated.
The Harbour Central Marine Precinct will occupy the former Baigents site on Mirrielees Road, and provide haul out and service facilities for the larger recreational and commercial boats that are no longer able to be serviced in Tauranga.
The slipway at Hutcheson's is Tauranga City Council owned and has a 100 tonne capacity. Other haul out at Tauranga is limited to the 30 and 35 tonne capacity of the straddle lifts at the two marinas.
The first stage of the marine precinct development is expected to cost about $20 million and involves a large hard standing area immediately north of the slip, a shed and 200 tonne travel lift, along with some marine retail and marine office spaces.
Part of the brief when looking at developments on the site is that the facility is not intended to compete with existing marine businesses, says Richard.
The intention is to attract a new market and regain some of the business that has been forced to leave town, like the port company tugs, and the Sanford boats.
A later stage of the development involves replacing the travel lift with a synchro lift. The entire project is expected to cost about $85 million.