Housing Development At Racecourse To Get Under Way

Work in developing a housing project at Invercargill’s Ascot Park Racecourse is getting closer to a start.

Southland racing Club President Sean Bellew says first part of transformation of the front car park area in to a housing development is about to get underway.

Bellew says the Racing Club is applying for consent for subdivision and will go through the resource consent process for five sections along the front of the car park. The sections will feed off Racecourse Rd.

He says the car park is used only once a year and just too expensive to hold onto for stock grazing.

The main entrance to the race course will have to be realigned as part of the development,  The club will initially develop the five sections, sell those with the returns paying for the infrastructure on a further 13 sections on the car park land.

Proceeds from the sale of two town houses across the road will also go towards funding the housing project along with lease rental from the Blue Duck child care facility.

Sean Bellew says stage two of the development will be family home, town house pattern “with the concept to have a social conscience, look after your neighbour.” He also envisages some retail like a hairdresser, cafe and convenience type store as part of the development.

He says apart from the new development there is a big residential area close by and the closest amenities like that are at Windsor “so lets bring Windsor to the eastern suburbs.”

But that’s not all. Sean Bellew says income from the development will go towards improving infrastructure for horses and race day patrons.

He says that would include swimming pools and walkers for equine use and add more stabling which will help bring in more tenants to the course making it a strategic training venue with subsidies  available for that.

Sean Bellew says the whole thing should follow a domino pattern.