Through their family-owned investment vehicle, City Construction, the Harveys own a sizeable chunk of Auckland’s upmarket Parnell retail strip. Comprised mainly of eateries, including some of the city’s finest dining, art galleries and fashion boutiques, it is a spectacular sight at night compared with other shopping areas.
At its centre is Parnell Village, the brainchild of local businessman Les Harvey, who bought a number of old shops along Parnell Rise in the 1970s and used recycled materials to restore them. He also accumulated a number of increasingly valuable properties around Auckland, which are held in trust for his three children.
Visitors can pay homage to the family patriarch, whose memory is preserved in a bronze statue outside Antoine's restaurant.
The Parnell Business Association has some 1000 members and says the new $19 million railway station is already invigorating the area. In keeping with Parnell's heritage theme, the former Newmarket Station building has been refurbished and relocated to the site.