Carpark is prime hotel opportunity
An opportunity to develop a hotel on one of the few large blocks of land left in Dunedin’s CBD is being presented to the market by Colliers International.
The Dunedin City Council-owned carpark on the corner of Moray Pl and Filleul St has long been earmarked for a five-star hotel and mixed-use development.
“Council’s looking for someone to develop the site and build a highquality hotel complex,” says Enterprise Dunedin director, John Christie.
The city council has enlisted two of Otago’s most experienced property and tourism asset brokers — Colliers Dunedin director Dean Collins and his Queenstown colleague Steve McIsaac — to seek registrations of interest, which need to be lodged by Friday, December 6.
Collins says the 6480sq m site is positioned within Dunedin’s civic heart. “This site provides a rare opportunity to establish a high-quality inner-city hotel complex, potentially with a mix of uses to complement Dunedin’s revitalised, vibrant and growing city centre. Seldom do development opportunities in such a prime CBD position come to the market, so this represents a truly unique opportunity.”
The property sits in a prominent position at 193 Moray Pl, with frontages to Filleul St and York Pl.
“The site is opposite the Dunedin Town Hall and close to the Octagon, considered the heart of Dunedin’s CBD, as well as the Dunedin Art Gallery,
the historic railway station, Toitu¯ Early Settlers museum and the Dunedin Chinese garden.
“The site is also a short distance from Otago University, Forsyth Barr Stadium and the Dunedin Hospital.
“The immediate area benefits from plenty of restaurants, cafes, boutique retailers, public transport links and much more.”
McIsaac says the site comprises a public car park with 185 spaces.
“There is huge potential at this site. The council envisages a hotel with street level retail. There is also potential for a residential component or multiple hotels within the complex.”
McIsaac says Dunedin is a vibrant city with a strong culture and idyllic natural beauty. “Located on the southeast coast of the South Island, Dunedin is the gateway to the Otago region as well as its main centre.
“The city is known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South’, due to its strong Scottish heritage, with many fine examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture including Larnach Castle and various churches.
“Dunedin is also home to the internationally recognised University of Otago, which hosts New Zealand’s principal medical school.
“Tertiary students make up 20 per cent of the city’s roughly 130,000 residents. This has an enormous influence on the city’s vibrancy and helps to sustain entertainment and cultural options well beyond the city’s size.
“Dunedin is also well known for its natural beauty and eco-tourism. Nestled in tree-clad hills at the head of a stunning harbour, it has excellent swimming and surfing beaches.
“The wider Otago region is renowned for its stunning scenery, which includes mountains vistas, dramatic rivers through vast plains, and remote beaches.”
Interested parties are being asked to submit concept designs and details of their development experience.