The National Business Review – The Rich List 2004
Nigel McKenna’s string of successful developments in recent years sees him appear on the Rich List for the first time at a relatively modest $25 million. However, NBR expects McKenna’s net worth to increase considerably in the short term as several more of his major projects are completed and sold. London-born and Ireland-raised, McKenna graduated with a first class honours science degree in construction economics from Trinity University in Dublin.
In 1987, he arrived in Wellington and founded project management practice Promanco Kenman. In that role, he helped refurbish Sheds 3 and 5 into popular Dockside and Shed 5 restaurants. He moved to Auckland in the mid-1990s, around the time he established Melview Developments.
One of Melview’s early projects was redeveloping the former New City Art Deco Hotel in Wellington into offices now occupied by Clemenger BBDO. In Auckland, he managed the conversion of the old Customhouse into the DFS Galleria. He was also project manger for the Metropolis apartments.
The affable McKenna also continued his waterfront theme in the Queen city. He was behind the now-popular Viaduct complex that features over a dozen restaurants, apartments and a hotel. He has redeveloped the Auckland Gas Company site opposite Victoria Park Market into award-winning $100 million Beaumont Quarter residential precinct, which is now nearing completion, as well as developing the award-winning North at Lighter Quay apartments.
Last year he missed out by a whisker on the contract to redevelop the Britomart site in downtown Auckland. However, he’s forging ahead with The Grand in Auckland – a 24-storey building with 400 apartments and a $150 million hotel development in Featherston St, Wellington.
He is New Zealand chairman of the International Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and was awarded the property entrepreneur of the year award by Ernst & Young in 2001.
