Marion van Dijk/Stuff
Could this be the new home for your business? The Nelson City Council is looking to sell or lease the historic Anchor Shipping and Foundry Co building to enhance the Wakefield Quay area.
A landmark historic building in Nelson is up for sale or lease.
The Nelson City Council announced on Tuesday it was looking to sell or lease the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Co building on Wakefield Quay to invite “new investment, new talent, and new skills, into the community”.
The council said it was offering “a unique opportunity to bring it back to life while maintaining and utilising its historic value”.
The Anchor Shipping and Foundry building has a footprint of approximately 600 square metres, and was assessed in 2017 and found to have no asbestos.
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It has a seismic capacity of 22% of the New Building Standard, meaning it is earthquake prone, but the seismic strength of the building does not have to be addressed until 2027.
The building is in the Haven Precinct, one of the areas highlighted for improved pedestrian and cycle access in Nelson’s Te Ara ō Whakatū City Centre Spatial Plan. The council has owned the property, which includes three buildings, the earliest of which was built in the 1920s, since September 2013.
Strategic development and property subcommittee chair Gaile Noonan said in a statement the site was a great opportunity.
“[The] council is open to any potential use of the building as long as it aligns with our vision of connecting and enhancing this area of Nelson,” she said.
Martin de Ruyter/Stuff
The facade and other parts of the site have heritage status, so interested parties must explain how they will preserve or enhance the building’s historic value.
“It’s a bit of a ‘gateway’ from the sea to the city, with plenty of footfall and through traffic, so I can see plenty of different options that would be viable.
“We often hear from small business owners who are struggling to find premises that will let them expand. This building would be ideal for a small-scale food production business, with a shopfront attached. But I’d hope to see a range of different proposals from those interested in leasing or buying the building.”
The facade of the building has heritage status under the Historic Places Trust and Nelson Resource Management Plan, and the Anchor Building is a heritage-listed building.
Interested parties must outline how they will protect or enhance the building’s historic value and explain how their proposal will align with the council’s vision for the precinct.
The land is held under two titles to make up the combined area of 813m². There are covenants registered on the title and a copy of the titles will be provided.
