This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
Queensland based construction company Hutchinson Builders has donned its ski gear and headed for the Japanese alpine slopes.
Hutchison is to embark on two prestige apartment developments worth $35 million in Japan’s emerging alpine sports capital, Niseko.
Hutchinsons chairman Scott Hutchinson said the company has acquired two prime sites in the upper village at Niseko – on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island – which in recent years has become one of the world’s premier new powderskiing and adventure sports destinations.
Niseko is also rapidly becoming the destination of choice for Asia’s booming new middle-class and its fast-growing population of snowsports enthusiasts, with Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei all only a few hours’ flying time away.
More than 12,000 Australians visited Niseko during the 2005/2006 ski season.
Hutchinsons joins a raft of Australian builders, architects, developers and tour operators now active in Niseko, following explosive growth in Australian, Asian and European visitor numbers to the town during the past five years.
The 1500 sqm ski-in-ski-out site is located in the centre of Niseko Hirafu’s upper village, at the base of the Alpen ski-run and has been acquired from vendor SkiJapan for $A2.5 million.
The project will be developed as Alpen Ridge, a prestige seven-level building comprising 33 apartments in one, two and three-bedroom layouts.
Designed by Brisbane-based Cottee Parker Architects, Alpen Ridge will also feature a restaurant and ski and snowboard shop, rentals and ski/board school on the ground level.
The second project, Sakae Lodge, is to be developed on a 1300 sqm site in Hirafu’s upper village main street, approximately 200 metres from the main ski centre. The land has been bought from a local Japanese vendor for $A1.5 million.
Sakae Lodge has also been designed by Cottee Parker and will be developed as 31 apartments of one and two bedrooms.
By Adam Parsons