A new skyscraper being constructed in Auckland, New Zealand will boost the region’s gross domestic product (GDP), as well as create hundreds of new jobs.

According to tvnz.co.nz, the tower will cost $350 million New Zealand dollars (around £117 million) to build. The 52-storey building will be 209 metres high, making it the tallest skyscraper in the country.

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Plans from Auckland Council reveal that the building will be constructed on an abandoned site which has been left empty ever since the Royal International Hotel was demolished in the 1980s. At the moment, only a car park and a bungy jump are situated on the site.

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Mayor Len Brown explained the benefits of the new project

“Alongside the Sky Tower, this will be a world class development for Auckland that will create hundreds of new jobs, energise the central business district and boost Auckland’s GDP, through a more than $350 million investment by New Development Group,” he said.

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Inside the skyscraper will be a 302-room hotel and a number of residential apartments. Visitors will be able to benefit from an entertainment complex, shops, restaurants and a cinema. Two skydeck areas will ensure that tourists and residents alike will be able to enjoy the fantastic view from atop the tower. For those worried about the lack of inner-city parking spaces, there will also be a underground parking facility spanning six levels, reports nzherald.co.nz.

Author: Laura Varley    Date Written: 17 February 2014