Council is calling for tenders from people, groups or businesses interested in buying surplus relocatable buildings, including the former temporary Council Chamber on Havelock Street.

The temporary chamber, the Council staff tearoom and 10 garages associated with the old civic building at 5 Baring Square West are up for tender, along with three relocatable classrooms at the old Polytech on Cameron Street.

At the same time, Council is looking for a real estate agent to sell the former three-storey civic building and land, which consists of four separate titles, with a total land area of 5059 square metres.

Chief Executive Hamish Riach said Councillors had approved the tender process to sell the relocatable buildings and a deadline sale process for the former civic administration building and surrounding land.

“The money raised will help offset the cost of building Te Whare Whakatere at Baring Square East.”

Mr Riach said the tender process for the surplus relocatable accessory buildings should encourage a wide range of interest.

“The successful tenderers will ultimately be decided by Councillors, so that means a community group hoping to use one of the buildings for a good cause will have as much opportunity as a business wanting it for a commercial purpose. Both will be able to make a case for why their bid should be selected.

“Council will then review the offers made and make a decision.”

Tenderers can submit a tender for one or more buildings, and successful tenderers will enter into an agreement with Council, setting out the terms of the purchase and removal. The tender document asks if the buildings will be purchased for commercial, personal or community use, and to outline how the proposed use benefits the community.

The tender documents for the relocatable buildings are on Council’s website, with a closing deadline of 12pm on 23 August. It is hoped that all the buildings and land will be sold by the end of the year.

Real estate agencies interested in selling the former administration building and land need to go to Council’s tender portal to access the request for proposal (RFP) documentation. Agencies will need to provide relevant information and experience by 7 August, and a successful agency will then be selected following the tender evaluation process.

The property would ideally be on the market by mid-September with a deadline sale end date in November.

Property files for the building are available on request and viewings can be arranged by contacting: Michelle Hydes, Property Advisor on 027 573 0265 or 03 307 7840.

Other details of the surplus relocatable buildings:

Temporary Council chambers

The former temporary Council chambers and civil defence office was built by Des Millar Construction in 2018 and is 208 square metres. Chattels include heat pumps, floor coverings, blinds and a water heater.

Garages

The 10 garages are able to be relocated in pairs and have a total area of 282 square metres.

Tearooms

The former staff tearoom is 104 square metres and includes heat pumps, a ceramic cook top, oven, hot water cylinder, steriliser, floor coverings, blinds, a boiling water unit and extractor fan.

Polytech classrooms

The three prefabs at 258 Cameron Street, on the old Polytech site) are approximately 352 square metres collectively, and include a covered connecting walkway.