The site has been closed this year while work has been completed on the first building as part of the redevelopment of the historic wharf.
With the building due to be completed this week, Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said the site will be opened up for community use next month.
”There is still ongoing landscaping work, and we will probably wait until the spring (next year) for some of the planting.
”But it’s exciting to see the first building coming together.”
Mr Doughty said the council is discussions with a number of potential tenants, with the hope of opening the building up for a restaurant or hospitality type business.
”We are in no hurry,” Mayor Craig Mackle said.
”We’ve always had the view of ‘build and they will come’, so we are under no pressure.”
The council hopes this will be the first of several new buildings on the site.
The project is being funded by a $10.18m grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, with the council taking the lead on the project and loan funding any shortfall.
The grant was received from the Government in 2019 to redevelop the area after it suffered damage in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016.
Local company LMC Building and Construction Ltd was granted the tender for the first building in September.
Company manager Luke Chambers said the build is due to be completed this week, with the site handover set for 31 October.
Mr Chambers grew up in Kaikōura and spent many hours fishing off the Wakatu Quay wharf.
”It’s always been a popular place to be and on a nice day it’s pretty hard to beat.
”It’s been a fantastic project to be involved with and to be able to give a new lease on a pretty magic location is pretty special.”
Mr Chambers said project has provided employment to locals and he has brought in local contractors whenever possible.
”There was a large emphasis on that from the council to use locals, so it has been good to able to deliver on that.
”It has been an interesting project with a unique design and location, surrounded by ocean.
”It’s not everyday you come across something like that.”
He said the completed project will have ”a pedestrian feel to it”, with vehicle access to be restricted, and prominent street lighting installed.
The lighting complies with the council’s new dark sky lighting rules and was tested recently.
”It will be a nice place to come to at night. It’s very low key, but it creates a nice atmosphere.”
The building has been designed to reflect whatever light is available, so it blends in well in with sun rises, sunsets and on cloudy days, he said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
