Winery village favoured

In closed session yesterday, the council voted unanimously to back a proposal from Wellington-based Urban Winery Holdings Ltd to establish a self-contained village with an operational winery, cellar sales, a boutique hotel complex, retail space and 162 residential apartments.

Urban Winery and the council will hammer out the finer points of the deal in coming months before a final council vote next year. The development will be built over the next three to five years.

The council bought the 1.75ha site in mid-2002, at that time valued at $4.26 million, on the recommendation of the Central City Mayoral Forum.

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