The new Queenstown Marina
The $20 million Queenstown Marina is now officially opened as plans are announced for Stage Two.
Iraj Barabi, who spends his time between his home in San Francisco and Queenstown was looking for projects that would fulfil his sense of contribution to the community that had become his second home.
Fortuitously Iraj met Alan Kirker, who suggested that the community would appreciate a marina with modern facilities. Work on the 85-berth Stage One started when Lakes Marina Projects Limited first applied for resource consent back in December 2013. Construction started in November 2017 and the floating part of the marina was handed over in September 2019.
“It’s taken much longer than I ever thought to build the marina, but now that we’ve finished Stage One, we’re delighted with the result,” says Iraj.
“We’re delighted with the support we’ve had from our anchor tenant Kjet and Alan has been the man on the ground in Queenstown for me, especially when I couldn’t be here during Covid.”
Construction of Stage One was completed just as Covid hit, and despite the timing, the interest for berths has been unprecedented over the last two years. With just 15 private and commercial berths currently available to lease, the time is right to start construction of Stage Two mid next year. It will add approximately 100 additional berths to the marina and will also provide electric charging for boats and vehicles.
Seventeen floating buildings were also built as part of Stage One. Each is an individual module with its own power, water, internet and gas, and the company is delighted to announce that Lake Dunstan’s award-winning coffee and floating burger bar Coffee Afloat has secured a tenancy and will be operational before the end of the year.
The company intends to make additional investment to acquire a hydraulic boat trailer suitable for larger vessels, enabling boats to be pulled out of the water for essential repairs and maintenance. Lakes Marina Projects is working with the Queenstown Lakes District Council on provision of a large shed to safely house boats while the work is being carried out.
