Council building use options canvassed

A year on from amalgamation around 20 percent of the former Rodney District Council headquarters in Centreway Road remains vacant and plans for the property’s future are on hold, pending completion of an Auckland Council Accommodation Strategy in 2012.

Council’s property manager Ian Wheeler says around 230 staff are currently using about 80 percent of the 7500sqm building that is operating as a full service centre including key departments such as customer services, property, regulatory services, finance and some civil defence staff. Rodney and Hibiscus & Bays local boards also use the premises.

Training rooms, meeting rooms, storage and a customer service public area are included in the space that was previously occupied by around 400 Rodney District Council staff.

Personnel only moved into the building’s new $13m extension in 2008, the year before government plans for amalgamation were announced. On July 1 this year the total property’s Capital Value for rating purposes was $20,550,000, with a land value component of $2,650,000.

Earlier this year Orewa College sought to lease one floor to accommodate classes while leaky buildings were fixed six rooms at a time.

“We thought this was a better idea than using up our playing and grass areas space with prefabs,” says Principal Kate Shevland.

“We believed it fitted in with the idea of beneficial partnerships between the school and the community.”

However, the Ministry of Education ultimately determined that using prefabs would be more cost-effective.

The school was disappointed with the outcome, but still considers that using commercial buildings could be a better way to manage growth than building from scratch and that the Council building could be an option.

“We are managing our roll numbers at present but do see that future growth could easily be planned for now and with a bit of foresight, it could be a very cost-effective and successful solution,” Ms Shevland says.

Mr Wheeler confirms that discussions with the Ministry of Education about leasing space did not get a result. An additional party has approached Council about using the balance of vacant space not required by the college, although discussions are at a very early stage.

“Our present focus is on letting the vacant space we have at Orewa on a short-term basis, pending completion of our Accommodation Strategy in mid 2012,” he says.

“Aside from the obvious considerations, such as achieving a market-related rent and the length of any lease, compatibility with the Council use is also important.”

Published 14 December 2011