The race to build New Zealand's tallest new residential tower is heating up, as developers of a planned 187m Auckland apartment skyscraper claim victory over the 178m Pacifica now rising nearby.
Both blocks are being built by companies with strong connections to China.
Harrison Shao, general manager of Shundi Customs which is building the newly-named Seascape Apartments at 83 Customs Street East in the Britomart area, said the new 52-level tower would be that tallest building apart from the Sky Tower.
"At a height of 187m, the visually striking Seascape Apartments will be 15m higher than the current Vero Building and 9m higher than the proposed Pacifica apartment building in the CBD," Shundi said.
Melbourne-headquartered Hengyi Pacific is building The Pacifica which will be 57 levels.
Yet Seascape is to be 9m taller than Pacifica, Shundi said.
"Construction is now underway on Seascape Apartments, which will be the highest residential building in New Zealand, only exceeded in height by the Sky Tower," Shundi said.
Liz Scott, Hengyi Pacific's New Zealand general manager, wished Shundi all the best and said construction works had been taking place on the site for months.
"It's not a surprise to us. It's not new news to us. There have been resource consent plans in the public arena for some time around that development. It's all about delivery of a quality product," she said, citing advanced Pacifica ground works.
"There's lots of resource consents around for lots of things but we're building and we have a quality product."
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