Historic central city pub up for auction
The Royal Hotel will soon be changing hands, with the historic Nelson property going up for auction in early April.
Located on the corner of Collingwood St and Bridge St, the property is listed on the Bayleys Nelson website as a ‘‘high profile 577sqm corner site with rear laneway access’’ which would be sold ‘‘as is, where is’’.
It’s the second time in two years the property will have changed hands. The hotel was last sold in 2021 to Sonja Newby.
In its listing, the heritage facade of the building is extolled as ‘‘a testament to its rich past, offering a unique blend of old-world charm and modern potential’’.
According to Nelson City Council, the property has a capital value of $761,000, as of September 2021.
Bayleys Nelson director of commercial sales and leasing Paul Vining said the out-of-town vendor that purchased the property two years ago had an intended use for the building, but had a change of circumstances.
‘‘They’ve decided that it’s surplus to their requirements, so they’re going to move on,’’ Vining said. ‘‘We’d really love somebody with a bit of vision and a bit of creativity and a bit of passion for this type of property to take it on. I think there’s a real opportunity to reinvigorate the building or bring it back to life essentially.’’
Vining said the heritage protection status was from the verandah which wrapped around the corner.
A 2016 assessment of the building evaluated it as having 15% NBS [new building standard], he said.
As a result it was registered with the council as earthquake prone, meaning its new owner would need to undertake strengthening work.
Vining said they had received some interest from outside the region. While he did not name a starting figure for offers, he said they were looking for all ‘‘genuine interested parties’’ to come forward.
The property was configured for short term accommodation, with 15 rooms upstairs, though was vacant as it was currently not fit for occupation.
The hotel dates back to 1866, making it around 157 years old, and is a stop on the council’s ‘‘Demon Drink Walk’’.
According to the NCC website, the pub, which formerly went by the name of The Royal Arms, was originally licenced in 1851.
A 17 room hotel built on the site in 1865 burned down a year later, fanned by a strong wind.
Swiftly rebuilt, the hotel played host to the 1868 public meeting to form the Nelson Football Club – renamed the Nelson Rugby Football Club in 1870. As well as being a pub it has also been a boarding house and, most recently, the hotel operated as The Shed Bar.
The property will go under the hammer on April 4 at 12pm, at Bayleys Nelson, unless sold prior.