Projects - Hawthorndale Care Village

The Hawthorndale Care Village will have managed and pleasant homes on a smaller scale, just like a suburban neighbourhood. To be built in Invercargill on the 2.57ha site of the former Hawthorndale Primary School, the village is designed to allow people to live in small homes built with dementia design principles rather than a hospital environment, there will be 13 houses catering for 6-7 residents per home providing the full spectrum of rest home, dementia and hospital care. In addition, 10 independent living villas will be available for those not requiring a rest home level of care. There is scope for 30 further independent living villas and apartments onsite in stage 2.

Henderson Construction will build the main village centre, Amalgamated Building Ltd (ABL) the 13 care houses, and Bennett Homes the 10 retirement villas. ABL Southland general manager Brad Harper, who will lead the largest build - the 13 care houses - said in mid-2023 that it was exciting to start work.

The familiar rhythm of a home in a safe and welcoming village community will give residents freedom and security, having a positive impact on happiness, health and wellbeing.  A genuine village environment with landscaped gardens and streets is proposed along with a range of residential care accommodation including integrated rest home, dementia and hospital care within the care homes.

Amenities in the village comprise:

• Dairy
• Hairdresser
• Café
• Gardens and parks
• Playground
• Chapel
• Theatre/ music room
• Recreational facilities
• Men’s shed
• Vegetable garden
• Wellness centre

Resource consent application has been granted by Invercargill City Council in December 2020. The project has completed the preliminary design work and is now working through the detailed design phase.

The civil works will take approximately 6 months to complete and is due to begin in the last quarter of 2022. Construction will begin in late spring 2023 and we hope the village will be completed by April 2025.