On the highway: Waimate gets makeover in bid to entice much more visitors

A South Canterbury businessman is pretty much one-handedly boosting Waimate’s picture as a area to visit.

Gary Rooney, owner and founder of the Rooney Group, is guiding numerous initiatives that are supplying the South Canterbury town’s most important street a facelift.

Rick Stevens is taking care of the developments, which consists of the redeveloped Waimate Lodge, the new Waimate Bakery, and the new Cups and Cones Gelato store – with all 3 opening for business enterprise in the past 12 months.

Examine A lot more:
* New Waimate bakery opens in previous bank
* Rooney converts previous Waimate ANZ setting up into bakery
* Former Waimate Lodge reopens soon after 18 months
* New developments push Waimate business land values up above 50 for each cent

Stevens mentioned more projects ended up on the books, but he would not give absent any specifics but.

“Gary remembers the affluent Waimate of his youth, and wishes to return it to the way it was,” Stevens stated.

Rooney prepared to breathe life back into the properties, as they experienced fallen into a point out of dilapidation.

Stevens, initially from the United States, moved to Waimate just above a yr ago to handle the developments.

He oversees about 35 persons functioning in the lodge, bakery and gelato functions.

As supervisor of Waimate Constrained, Stevens mentioned his goal was to rejuvenate the city of about 3000.

“We are aiming to rejuvenate Waimate as a complete in an effort to carry extra persons to Waimate.

“We are heading about it 1 developing at a time.”

Rooney, who is no stranger to New Zealand’s Prosperous Listing, introduced many assignments in the city in 2018, together with the redevelopment of the lodge, demolition of its two neighbouring structures, and proposals to demolish the Savoy Building, the Country Kitchen Building, and the Walker McGeorge Building.

He was then driving the construction of a health-related centre development well worth shut to $2 million on the town’s most important road, Queen St.

In December 2018, Rooney purchased the historic and dilapidated Quinn’s Arcade, incorporating to his increasing portfolio in the town’s central enterprise district.

Cups and Cones Gelato, a pop-up shop in the previous write-up workplace, was the most recent growth, opening late 2020.

“It started with the Waimate Hotel, then the bakery which we just opened in Oct, and now the old post workplace,” Stevens stated.

“Cups and Cones Gelato will be a pop-up store in summer season, and we will then be renovating the aged put up office making at the finish of summertime.”

The old submit office would be repainted and equipped out for a new undertaking.

Stevens claimed there was a prepare for the place, but he would not reveal what the prepare was nevertheless.

“We have a couple much more structures we are doing the job on.”

Stevens mentioned there experienced “been a change in energy” in Waimate above the final year.

“We want to offer you a little something that is good high quality, a good company and a good product or service.”

On The Highway is a sequence about the greatest sites to consume, take a look at and appreciate in the South Island this summer. If you know of any other concealed gems, email [email protected]