Invers Builder and Property Developer Russell Cunningham Has Passed Away
A man who helped shape our city has passed away.
Russell Cunningham died earlier this week after enduring a hard fought battle with dementia.
Russell Cunningham started his working life as an apprentice builder who became a builder of spec houses dotted around Invers. That grew into his construction business R J Cunningham Ltd.
Commercial property development around the city became a key focus in latter years with the development of the Farmers building in the central city a flagship project.
Arguably, Russell Cunningham’s biggest project was the development of turning the old Showgrounds site in to what has become the Invercargill Business Park. All this at a time when large scale commercial property development may not have been the most astute thing to take on. Remember the GFC?
And look at what it has become, a hive of commercial activity with local and national business’s set up there. A commercial complex that many other provincial centres would be envious of.
Russell Cunningham’s son Alex and a small team of staff of Russell Cunningham Properties Ltd look after the care and future development of Invercargill Business Park and the company’s other developments.
Mr Cunningham aka Sneaky Meat was also an avid motorsport competitor and administrator over many years particularly with what is now Oreti Park Speedway.
Tributes have been flowing freely and graciously this week of a man who in his own quiet but determined way has contributed enormously to the shape of our city and has left a legacy of house builds and commercial developments.
Russell Cunningham, a developer who created demand, a doer. RIP
Related: Read Russell’s funeral notice
