Work on Invercargill's CBD block rebuild and new hotel ramps up

Sunday, 27 December 2020

Construction of the Farmers building is progressing well in the CBD block rebuild in Invercargill.

Bosses of the Invercargill CBD block rebuild and The Langlands Hotel can’t wait to see development work forge ahead in 2021.

Invercargill Central project director Geoff Cotton and Invercargill Licensing Trust chief executive Chris Ramsay both say the progress made will be significant in the new year.

“What I’m loving as an ‘Invercargillite’ is from every point in the town, you can look across and see these big cranes … they’re developing the future of the city and that’s hard not to get excited about,” Ramsay said.

He added the ILT’s hotel was taking shape steadily and early in 2021 the structure of the building would closed-in for the internal fit-out. Facade materials will also be added in that phase of the project.

* Construction of Invercargill's $40 million hotel on schedule

The Langlands Hotel is taking shape in Invercargill.

* One building left to be demolished in Invercargill CBD block

* The Langlands Hotel opening likely delayed until 2022 because of Covid-19

Ramsay said Southlanders and visitors to the city would be impressed with the view from the rooftop bar on the seventh floor.

“It’s got 360-degree views that are phenomenal.”

The hotel is schedule to open in early 2022.

Cotton said a “big push” in the CBD block rebuild next year would be to complete the car park area.

Building framework for the Farmers store is quickly going up and similar construction will start appearing on the Esk St side from February.

“Farmers should in by Christmas next year, starting their fitting out work, getting ready to open in May 2022,” Cotton said.

When Farmers open, so will 15 other stores in the block.

In 12 months time Cotton envisages 200 to 250 workers on site.

All work will be finished by the end of 2022, at which point there will be about 50 stores operating.

“It depends on whether some people take a bigger store or get two stores and make it one, or they get a bigger store and make it into two.”

Work on both the CBD block rebuild and The Langlands Hotel has stopped for the holidays and will resume in early January.