Retirement community expansion officially opened
The brand-new Apartments and Care Centre at Arvida Bethlehem Shores were officially opened recently.
The celebration marked the completion of a major $100 million expansion of the Tauranga retirement community. Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale joined residents, village team and invited guests at the official opening, which included ribbon‑cutting and commemorative plaque unveiling.
The official opening marks an important milestone for retirement community that now supports both independent and care options for residents.
The expansion includes 53 new independent‑living apartments and 55 modern care suites offering rest home, hospital and dementia-levels of care. The development has been designed to enable residents to remain within the same community as their needs change, while enjoying high‑quality, purpose‑built environments.
Arvida Chief Executive Jeremy Nicoll said the opening marked “the last big piece of the puzzle” for the popular retirement community.
“This development completes the village and brings together independent living and care in a way that supports choice, comfort and continuity for residents,” Nicoll said.
The new building features thoughtfully designed shared spaces, including lounges, dining areas, cafés and landscaped courtyards, creating welcoming areas for residents, families and visitors to connect. The Care Suites were designed around smaller, household‑style living to provide a more homelike experience.
“It’s a great facility for Tauranga. As a Mayor I’m most excited about that we’ve got 100 new homes and as people come into a retirement village they sell their old home and that allows more people to have a home in Tauranga. There’s not only 60 new jobs in our economy but also through the construction there’s lots of tradies and contractors working and that helps drive the economy,” Drysdale said
Nicoll added that the new apartments offered elevated living with expansive views across Tauranga and beyond, and said “demand has been great”.
