Former Capri premier healthcare site for sale
Opportunities for redevelopment of the waterfront properties are incredibly varied
he land and buildings that formerly housed Auckland’s premier private mental healthcare and substance recovery and treatment centre have been placed on the market.
Capri Hospital in Waipuna Rd, Mt Wellington, closed its doors earlier this year after treating more than 5000 patients over a 17- year timeframe — including up to 150 outpatients weekly. The facility also has individual on- site accommodation facilities for up to 22 patients at a time.
The former Capri Hospital land and buildings are now being marketed for sale by Bayleys Auckland salespeople Paul Dixon, John Bayley, Mike Peterson and Carolyn Hanson through a tender process closing on December 1.
The property features in Bayleys’ latest Total Property portfolio magazine.
Dixon says the former hospital facility comprised three separate properties — two adjoining, and a third just a few metres further down a private right- of- way.
All properties sit directly above Waipuna Estuary and have riparian rights to the tidal channel.
The trio of properties could be tendered for as an entire portfolio, in portions, or individually. They are:
Property No 1: 154 Waipuna Rd East: 1724sq m of land with a 331sq m five- bedroom dwelling serviced by a five- person internal elevator. At the bottom of the garden on the Waipuna Estuary is a deepwater jetty for mooring two vessels.
Chattels attached to the property include a full intruder and smoke alarm system, workshop, and summer house overlooking a solar- heated pool.
Property No 2: 158 Waipuna Rd: 1679sq m of land with 539sq m of dwellings containing a total of sevenbedrooms. At the bottom of the garden on the Waipuna Estuary is a deep water jetty for mooring two vessels.
Chattels within the property include a commercial- grade kitchen, emergency lighting system, workshop, spa pool and sauna covered by a electric atrium roof, heat pumps, disabled ramp entrance, electric locking entry doors, and three- phase underground power.
Property No 3: 160 Waipuna Rd: 869sq m of land with a 243 square metre five- bedroom dwelling. Chattels within the property include an alarm system, spa and swimming pool, disabled ramp entrance, garden irrigation system and three- phase underground power. There i s a deepwater jetty mooring one boat, power and water.
The buildings at 158 and 160 Waipuna Rd have both been issued with commercial Warrants of Fitness for accommodation premises. The properties are zoned for residential mixed housing under the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, although Dixon says existing- use rights could apply for any potential buyer looking to continue operating the site on a commercial basis.
Dixon says opportunities for redevelopment of the site are incredibly varied, including:
Existing infrastructure could be converted to accommodate a boutique aged care facility
It could be added to in order to create an even bigger aged care facility offering different room configurations and levels of care
It could be converted into a high- end boutique accommodation entity capable of sustaining 10 guests per property
Premises could be demolished and a new aged care complex or retirement village constructed subject to council consent, or
The premises could be demolished and a high- end residential development undertaken.
“The three properties are all absolute waterfront locations. Two of the residences are concealed away from the road access — delivering considerable seclusion, while the third sits behind tall mature trees to offer its own degree of privacy,” says Dixon.
Capri Hospital was founded by long- time friends and recovering alcoholics Guy Smith and Tom Claunch. In 2010 the centre became a certified hospital under Ministry of Health classification — allowing for residential treatment of patients while they went through detoxification programmes.
Peterson says the cliff- top waterfront positioning of all three Capri Hospital portfolio addresses automatically dictated that whatever went on the site in the future would be of a high- end nature.
“With the closure earlier this year of Mollies as Auckland’s premier boutique hotel and hide- away for international celebrities and stars visiting the city, there is the opportunity for a seasoned commercial accommodation operator to reinvigorate the Capri Hospital buildings for similar use,” he says. “The bonus of boat moorings at the bottom of the Waipuna Rd properties would add to the exclusive nature of any high- end offering — allowing a lodge to have their private launch and/ or yacht available to guests.”
Rack rates at what were Mollies 12 luxury individually themed rooms were more than $ 1000 a night.
Peterson says the infrastructure at the Waipuna Rd properties would sustain a similar level of pricing with the addition of guest luxuries and decor upgrades in the suites.
The dwelling at 158 Waipuna Rd East was the residence occupied by one of Capri’s owner/ operators, and is the plushest of the three “homes” within the portfolio being offered for sale.
“It features a grand reception atrium boasting an ornate Italian fountain ringed by sculptured lions, elaborate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and magnificent statues gracing the interior perimeter.
“This would amply qualify as the cornerstone to any boutique lodge style complex,” Peterson says.
Hanson adds that the dwellings are ideally configured to operate as an opulent American- style boutique retirement venue — where clients sign rolling tenancy leases and are treated as hotel guests rather than unit owner/ occupiers.
She says it would be a first for New Zealand’s retirement village sector.
“Not everyone wants to spend their final days in a stock- standard large scale retirement village, attractive as they are,” says Hanson.
“The exponential growth in retirement villages in Auckland over the past decade has led to a templated ‘ cookie cutter’ type approach taken to developments by the biggest operators. The homes within the Capri portfolio would offer something totally different — a luxury lodge type experience for a very small and privileged clientele.”