New community centre for village and care home development

Following on from the completion of 44 villas, which began construction in 2018, the community centre will also have a recreational shed and a maintenance garage. The relatively flat land on Napier Road, Palmerston North is more than four hectares in size, and will eventually include a care home, which could provide the opportunity of a continuum of care for residents if needed.

Once complete, Bupa Riverstone will have 72 (one and two bedroom) villas, 14 serviced apartments, and 56 care home beds for residents requiring different levels of care such as dementia care, rest home level and hospital level care.

Bupa Head of Property Development, Jamie Gibson says the community centre will give the local district a facility to hold their community events and functions.

“The Bupa retirement village and care home development is for our residents, their families and the wider community. A new community centre will offer people the chance to come together and for locals to include our residents in activities too,” Jamie says.

Bupa Riverstone Retirement Village and Care Home is the third Bupa location in the Manawatu region, after the Rahiri Care Home and Retirement Village in Dannevirke and Waireka Care Home in Pahiatua. In New Zealand, Bupa supports its residents through a range of health and care services with 48 care homes, 6 rehabilitation facilities and 33 retirement villages across New Zealand. The building architect is Jerram Tocker Barron and the community centre and care home development twill be built by Kernow Construction of Palmerston North.

The $55 million investment, which will have ample parking, will employ approximately 60 people once completed.

“We are seeing increasing demand with strong growth across the North Island. We are responding to market dynamics and are building to keep up with the growing demand,” Jamie explains.

The Bupa Riverstone development is due for completion in late 2020.