Former fire station ignites development interest
A multi-unit residential development has been tipped as developers eye the site of the former East Coast Bays Fire Station on Auckland’s North Shore.
The vacated station on Knights Rd, Rothesay Bay, has been put up for sale after it was replaced by a new fire station on East Coast Rd by Fire and Emergency NZ.
On a high-profile corner with wide frontages and access to Knights and Beach roads, the land offering is of a rare scale for the area at more than 1500sq m and is zoned for residential intensification.
It is expected to hold particular appeal for residential developers as well as land-bankers and potentially owner-occupiers seeking to remodel the premises for a range of potential future uses.
The freehold land and building at 19 Knights Road is being marketed for sale by tender closing on Thursday 3 March, through Bayleys Auckland Central salespeople Mike Adams and Jean-Paul Smit and Bayleys North Shore Commercial salesperson Michael Nees.
The offering consists of some 1542sq m of freehold land plus the former fire station building of approximately 295sq m and is being offered with vacant possession.
Adams said the large land area and Residential – Mixed Housing Suburban zoning under the Auckland Unitary Plan would enable medium density intensification with two-storey detached or attached housing such as townhouses/ terraced housing or apartments.
The height allowance could potentially rise to three storeys under proposed rule changes recently announced by the Government, he said.
“Upper floors of a future complex would enjoy stunning potential view shafts, including vistas across the Hauraki Gulf.
“The area has a relatively high socioeconomic demographic including a significant ‘baby boomer’ population, which is consistent with the likely sell-down target market for any redevelopment with townhouses or apartments.
“These market characteristics have already helped to drive the successful development and sell-down of multiple residential projects in the immediate vicinity,” said Adams.
Nees said that, subject to council approval, the structure could possibly be suited to a refurbishment for a number of uses including retail or a hospitality business such as a craft beer bar or character caf/restaurant – perhaps themed on its past life as a fire station.
“These activities would be well served by the site’s high-profile location, ample onsite parking and the lack of commercial amenity in the near vicinity.
“This could be of interest to an owneroccupier, or as a source of holding income for a developer while they investigated future options,” Nees said.