Praise be: Ponsonby church seeks new owner
A church that’s been a prominent Ponsonby Rd landmark for 138 years is set for a change of use following a decision to sell the property.
St John’s Church, along with two adjoining buildings and the 2462sq m of land they occupy on 229A Ponsonby Rd, are being offered for sale with vacant possession by the Auckland Samoan Parish of the Methodist Church of New Zealand.
Bayleys Real Estate has been appointed to tender the property, closing Wednesday April 15, unless sold earlier.
Alan Haydock, director of Bayleys Auckland city and fringe division, says the church has catered for the Ponsonby community since it held its first service on April 30, 1882.
It became New Zealand's first
Methodist Samoan parish around 50 years ago. “Two further substantial extensions were added to the side and rear of the church in the 1970s and 80s,” says Haydock.
“Most of the church’s congregation are now based in South Auckland. This, in combination with the substantial increase in land values along Ponsonby Rd, has resulted in the decision to sell.”
Haydock says the church itself has heritage protection. However, the rectangular shaped site, which also opens on to Arthur St at the rear, and its two Auckland Unitary Plan zonings offers add-value opportunities.
“The rear portion of the site adjoining Arthur St has a residential zoning,” says Haydock.
“The land’s elevated, northeasterly aspect could lend itself to one or possibly two large dwellings on Arthur St, which would provide sweeping CBD and harbour views from their upper levels.
“The front part of the property on Ponsonby Rd, on which the church is located, has a Town Centre zoning which permits a wide range of commercial and residential uses.”
The original church is a rectangular building of about 300sq m and has a gable roof, with Marseilles pattern clay roof tiles.
Along each side of the building are a series of Gothic windows, some of which contain stained glass panels.
The interior still has its original tongue and groove timber ceiling and walls plus ornate timber roof trusses decorated with Gothic quatrefoil motifs. The trusses are supported on elegant brackets and corbels.
The church has a 12.8m stud height at peak, lowering to 6m along the side walls. Possible commercial activities could include a gallery, restaurant, theatre, events centre, or character office or retail space, says Haydock.
The Town Centre zoning also permits residential use, although this or any other change of use would require council consent.
The first of two additions to the church was undertaken in 1977 and comprised an extension of about 340sq m along the northern side of the church to accommodate a cultural centre, with . kitchen plus toilets and an upstairs class room area with an adjoining open deck.
A concrete block building of about
600sq m with a separate entrance was added at the rear of the church in
1989. This contains a community hall with a multi-room basement below used for a play centre and Sunday school rooms.
Bayleys sales agent Damien Bullick says both buildings could be adapted for a variety of uses. Alternatively, council consent could be sought to demolish them. There is also undeveloped land along the southern side of the property with parking for
24 cars.
St John’s Church was one of several places of worship built during the late 19th century to serve the expanding suburb of Ponsonby. Ponsonby's 1874 population of 1640 had more than doubled by 1881, and was to double again by 1886.