Our vision

Our vision is to develop warm, affordable, and sustainable student accommodation.

Our vision is to develop warm, affordable, and sustainable student accommodation. The site is well positioned for all three of our campuses and close to the city—so ideal for students moving between study, work, and recreation.

Currently, the buildings are earthquake-prone and deteriorating—and not serving our student community or the city in any way.

In August 2025, the Government’s second Resource Management Amendment Bill passed into law. As a result, the Wellington City Council's heritage listing on the Gordon Wilson Flats has been removed, and the demolition of this building is a permitted activity under the Council's existing and proposed District Plan.

Demolition of the existing structures

The University has identified a demolition contractor with a strong track record in health, safety, and compliance—we will be able to share details of the chosen contractor soon.

Following this, we will apply to Wellington City Council for the relevant consents to demolish the Gordon Wilson and McLean Flats. Any application must demonstrate careful consideration for the likely impact on neighbouring properties, traffic, and safety.

The University’s Capital Plan includes funding for demolition across the 2025/2026 financial years.

Information for neighbours and local residents

Ensuring public safety is our highest priority. We understand the demolition will be disruptive for our neighbours and we are committed to minimising that impact. Over the coming weeks we will begin site preparation work—we do not anticipate noisy work until at least February 2026.

Redevelopment of the site

The University is working through the Treasury Better Business Case process to identify the best options for funding the redevelopment and meeting the unique requirements of student accommodation. The process of working through the strategic and economic cases has identified that site redevelopment using the existing buildings is not the best option to meet the strategic needs of student accommodation, nor is it financially viable.

We will work through the remaining cases and future plans for the site throughout 2026.