Buyers fired up as tile showroom site up for sale
The site housing a well-known tile studio is for sale on Auckland’s CBD fringe with possibilities for developers eyeing a multi-storey mixed-use project.
The two-level showroom and office property on Great North Rd is renowned among home decorators and renovators as the home of Middle Earth Tiles, an acclaimed producer of handmade tiles for over 40 years.
The upstairs office is now vacant and Middle Earth Tiles’ showroom lease has a short term to run.
The property is expected to appeal to owneroccupiers and investors, along with buyers seeking to unlock its strong redevelopment potential in a precinct which is sprouting numerous apartment and mixed-use projects.
The freehold land and building at 136/138 Great North Rd are being marketed by Stuart Bode of Bayleys Northwest.
The property will go under the hammer on Wednesday 2 November, unless sold prior.
Bode said the property encompassed an approximately 688sq m building on 435sq m of land with dual street access and seven carparks.
The ground floor houses a showroom area of over 300sq m with exceptional exposure to high traffic volumes on one of the city fringe’s busiest arterial roads. Level one offers 386sq m of character office accommodation.
“The building sits on a regular-shaped, rectangular site with prominent frontage to the city end of Great North Rd plus secondary access and frontage to Putiki St at the rear.
“These characteristics, along with development-friendly zoning, will heighten the site’s attractiveness for future redevelopment,” Bode said.
Business-Mixed Use zoning under Auckland’s unitary plan allows a wide range of residential and commercial possibilities, with a 27m maximum allowable building height at the site.
“This part of the Great North Rd ridge is home to some of New Zealand’s premier car dealerships and has also seen the rise of numerous quality apartment complexes thanks to its proximity to Ponsonby and the Auckland CBD,” said Bode.
Notable apartment developments along Great North Road in recent years include 217 North, North Apartments, Ariki Apartments, The Dylan, Aston Apartments and The Barrington.
The site for sale is surrounded by mostly smaller commercial and light industrial properties.
Bode said significant warehouse and office space along Great North Rd had been converted into retail/showroom uses in recent times.
“Positioned around 400m from the key junction with Ponsonby, Karangahape and Newton roads, the site for sale sits within 2.5km of the central city.
“The retail strips of Ponsonby and Karangahape roads are within walking distance, offering access to a range of bars, cafes and restaurants,” Bode said.