Northcote in line for renewal

Auckland Council’s property arm is hunting for a buyer to carry out a sweeping urban redevelopment of Northcote town centre, bringing apartments above new retail, restaurant and commercial spaces.

The 3.13ha publicly-owned site is now a large car park surrounded by shops on land the council owns. Speculation is that a consortium might buy it and experts said it could go for about $60 million.

Kate Cumberpatch, Eke Panuku priority location director, said it had bought 26 shop and office buildings in the town centre in the past five years to add to its existing holding, so it could sell it all for the regeneration.

In 2016, the council originally owned only the 600-space car park and the land beneath the buildings, but not the buildings themselves. So it had to buy those buildings to enable the latest plan, she said.

The rating value totals $60.3m. Last year, the Herald reported that popular local Chinese restaurant Love A Duck was shutting after 24 years when it was compulsorily acquired by the council to allow the sweeping urban overhaul.

Eke Panuku wants a developer for its super lot, earmarked for a largescale residential-led town hub of

17,000sq m of retail gross floor area and 480 apartments, its information memorandum says.

Council-owned Eke Panuku wants a mix of residential, retail, supermarket and commercial offices built in place of the existing buildings and on the car park land, in the area where Ka¯inga Ora has rebuilt much of the state housing stock.

Images show shops with blocks of apartments up to four levels high, and a 27m height guidance was cited in documents.

PwC is managing the sales process advertising it from today, seeking expressions of interest from development partners.

Eke Panuku will deliver the upgrade and extension of Ernie Mays St and refurbish and extend the Northcote Library into a multi-purpose community hub, it said.

It will also demolish buildings so Ernie Mays St could be rebuilt. A developer who buys the land would then be responsible for delivering all other infrastructure, roading and laneways, services reticulation and public realm within the Lake Rd super lot, it said. Plans include a new town centre square with associated facilities.

This first step is due to be finished by the end of the year, then Eke Panuku said it would name the buyer and construction could start from

2027.

Development work is planned to be staged so the supermarket, library and some shops remain open while work is undertaken, Eke Panuku said.

Expressions of interest to buy the council land are due by November 13.

Eke Panuku is also selling the CBD Downtown Car Park, which the

this week reported looks set to proceed this month.