The snazziest-looking apartment complex under construction in Auckland is the 17-storeyed, 90-unit building known as The International. It is a $75 million conversion of Fonterra’s former headquarters and incorporates a heritage façade on Princes St next to the Northern Club.
The façade has been retained, with new balcony extensions, while the entire building will have two additional floors on top and be surrounded by an exo-skeleton.
Last year, NBR reported that globetrotting Kiwi businessman and White House aide Chris Liddell spent $15 million on the penthouse, which is the equivalent of three suburban houses.
At the other end of the university precinct, between the motorway and Symonds St, Dominion Constructors is building two towers of student accommodation known as Waiparuru Hall, with 786 bedrooms.
Another conversion, this time from an office tower to a hotel, is at 396 Queen St and the corner at Mayoral Dr, once home to the Queen's Head Tavern. It was bought for $31m in 2016 by the Russells, in partnership with Crombie Lockwood founder Steve Lockwood.
Describing it as one of "the best conversion opportunities available in the Auckland CBD," managing director Brett Russell believes "the timing is now right to acquire and convert this building to an internationally branded hotel to address the growing shortage of quality hotel accommodation in the city."
These are just some of the list of developments for the Russell Property Group, which is part of the family-owned Russell Group of companies.
Russell has spent more than 35 years in the construction industry, ranging from trade experience and training through to company ownership and management.
The Russell Group business was started by his late father Alf back in 1965. It now employs 900 people and, apart from Dominion Constructors, includes Russell Gordon Contracting, Stresscrete Auckland and Otaki, and New Zealand's largest scaffolding company, Acrow.
As well as luxury apartments and hotels,Russell has delivered projects ranging in diversity from streetscapes and rail facilities to prisons and warehouses over the past four decades.
“At its heart, this is a family business and, as such, its culture reflects family values," Russell says. "We pride ourselves on being down-to-earth, good to deal with and true to our word. We’re strong but fair, friendly and supportive of one another. Our approach is hands-on and, when we say we’ll deliver, we do.”