Auckland Council has agreed to enter into a conditional contract for the sale of its offices at 35 Graham Street, Auckland.
The offices, including the customer service centre, will continue to operate in this location until mid-2020 at which point services and teams will relocate to the existing offices at Te Wharau o Tāmaki Auckland House (135 Albert Street) and Te Wharau o Horotiu Bledisloe House.
The sale is being carried out on behalf of the council by its urban regeneration arm, Panuku Development Auckland.
Welcoming the proposed sale, Finance and Performance Committee Chair, Councillor Ross Clow, said:
“Our aim is to make council services more accessible to all Aucklanders, providing a contact point within 10km of where they live.
"The sale of Graham Street is a big step forward in delivering this vision as funds raised from the sale of buildings which no longer support our plans will be reinvested to create more modern facilities across the region.”
In addition to accessibility, the additional advantage in this approach is the avoidance of an estimated $117 million maintenance cost for the ear-marked buildings over the next 10-years.
Head of Corporate Property Rod Aitken explains, “The buildings we’ve identified as surplus to our future requirements would cost more to maintain in their current state than our 10-year budget allows.
"Selling off this part of our portfolio and re-investing in fit-for-purpose spaces is a far better outcome for both customers and staff.”
A conditional agreement for 35 Graham Street was signed on 29 April 2019 between Auckland Council and Asset Plus Ltd. The sale, for an agreed price of $58 million, is subject to the approval of Asset Plus shareholders at a meeting scheduled in early June. Subject to that approval, settlement will occur by end of June 2019.
