Two character office units in trendy Parnell

Two vacant first floor character office units with mezzanines and four car parks are for sale in fashionable Parnell.

"The units are in an area largely comprising older low level industrial buildings which have been or are in the process of being converted to office or showroom use," says John Stringer of Barfoot & Thompson Commercial.

Stringer and his colleague Cam Paterson are marketing the units at 128 St Georges Bay Rd for sale by tender closing at 4 pm on Thursday, February 11, unless they sell earlier by negotiation.

The building at 128 St Georges Bay Rd is known as the Southern Building and shares a main entrance stairwell and lift access to an adjoining building at 130 St Georges Bay Rd which is known as the Northern Building. The two buildings are managed by separate body corporates.

"The Southern Building was built pre 1935 with the adjacent Northern Building being a more recent extension that was constructed in the 1980s," Stringer says.

"The units for sale are located in the two-level Southern Building on the first floor on the eastern side of the building. The four car parks included in the sale are situated on Level 3 in the Northern Building."

Each of the character units has an area of about 150 sq m include a mezzanine and feature high stud, timber floors with exposed steel trusses and timber beams.

The Southern Building housing the units has a frontage to St Georges Bay Rd of around 20 metres with vehicle access from two entranceways to St Georges Bay Rd.

"This is a convenient city fringe location within a three minute drive to Downtown Auckland," Stringer says. 

"It's also close to the Parnell Rd shopping area containing a large concentration of cafes and restaurants. In addition it has quick access to both the north-south State Highway One and northwestern State Highway 16 motorways via The Strand."

"The Southern Building was built pre 1935 with the adjacent Northern Building being a more recent extension that was constructed in the 1980s," Stringer says.

"The units for sale are located in the two-level Southern Building on the first floor on the eastern side of the building. The four car parks included in the sale are situated on Level 3 in the Northern Building."

Each of the character units has an area of about 150 sq m include a mezzanine and feature high stud, timber floors with exposed steel trusses and timber beams.

The Southern Building housing the units has a frontage to St Georges Bay Rd of around 20 metres with vehicle access from two entranceways to St Georges Bay Rd.

"This is a convenient city fringe location within a three minute drive to Downtown Auckland," Stringer says. "It’s also close to the Parnell Rd shopping area containing a large concentration of cafes and restaurants. In addition it has quick access to both the north-south State Highway One and northwestern State Highway 16 motorways via The Strand."

Fast changing precinct

Paterson says the units are located in a fast changing precinct where a number of new developments will increase demand for office space.

"Mansons has a big commercial office development in progress about 100 metres up the road while Andrew Krukziener is well underway with his redevelopment of 99 St Georges Bay Road into a mix of retail, service and showroom uses."

The property is zoned Business Activity 5 under the Auckland Council’s Operative District Plan and is designated Light Industry under the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (PAUP).

"The Business Activity 5 zone generally applies to areas throughout the city that are typified by older purpose built industrial properties," Paterson says. "However, the refurbishment of existing industrial buildings in Parnell has seen a substantial change of use with retailing and office now predominant activities.

"Under the PAUP the change to a Light Industry will allow uses like offices, retailing, dairies, worker accommodation, dairies, offices, storage and lock up facilities."

Paterson says the general construction of the Southern Building is of reinforced concrete and floor slab foundations with concrete frame, timber trusses and purlins, brick infills and timber flooring. Window joinery is a mixture of aluminium, metal and timber and the internal walls are plasterboard mixed with exposed brick exterior walls. The roof is metal cladding.

Paterson says a detailed engineering evaluation was undertaken on behalf of the owners last March which recommended a proposed seismic strengthening scheme to bring the Southern Building up to 67 per cent of New Building Standard (NBS).