The premises housing a top outdoors retailer have been put up for sale in one the country’s fastest-growing towns.
The two-storey Hunting & Fishing outlet in the Warkworth town centre is a popular supplier to fishers, divers, boating and camping enthusiasts exploring the bays, islands and bush around North Auckland’s Matakana Coast.
Since opening its first store in Palmerston North more than 35 years ago, Hunting & Fishing has grown into a nationwide chain with 38 stores from Kaitaia to Invercargill.
The brand is now recognised as one of New Zealand's leading authorities for hunting, fishing, camping, and tramping information, and equipment.
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The property at 22 Baxter Street, Warkworth, North Auckland, is being offered for sale for the first time in 24 years, through Chris Blair and Henry Napier of Bayleys in the North. It will go under the hammer at an auction on Wednesday 2 November, unless it is sold prior.
The property returns an annual net rental income of $93,428 plus outgoings and GST. The current lease runs through to 2026, with two further two-year rights of renewal. The lease agreement locks in annual CPI rent reviews, replaced by market reviews at lease renewals.
Blair said the offering comprised a unit-titled property with a net lettable area of some 455 square metres which is fully leased to Hunting & Fishing.
“Originally constructed in the 1970s, the building has undergone significant refurbishment, most recently in 2020.
“The property is configured with an approximately 265-square metre retail showroom and office on the ground floor, and some 190 square metres of additional showroom and storage space upstairs.
“The building has a dynamic and versatile use profile, suitable for service, retail, and office uses,” said Blair.
The Baxter Street property forms part of the Business Town Centre zone under Auckland’s unitary plan, a designation designed to provide a focus for commercial activities and growth. The zone enables a wide range of activities including commercial, leisure, tourist and residential, with a maximum allowable building height of 18 metres.
Napier said the surrounding area was home to a robust concentration of amenities, including a range of boutique retail, food & beverage options, and major supermarkets.
“Situated around 45 minutes north of central Auckland, Warkworth has been targeted by Auckland Council as a focal point for rapid growth as a northern satellite town.
“The town’s population grew by more than 60 percent to over 5,500 in the 12 years to the 2018 census. This growth is expected to accelerate further, driving a more than four-fold increase to 25,000 by 2030,” Napier said.
In 2019, Auckland Transport announced an integrated transport network plan designed to underpin this rapid growth and development.
“This will see significant public transport investments, including two new bus stations in north and south Warkworth, along with a walking and cycling network.
“The area will also benefit greatly from quicker connections to central Auckland when the Puhoi-to-Warkworth extension of the four-lane Northern Motorway opens next year. This is the first stage of a project that will eventually extend northwards to Wellsford,” said Napier.
A southern interchange on the Puhoi-to-Warkworth motorway and a connecting arterial road will provide access to planned residential and business land to the south of the town, while new link roads to Sandspit and Matakana are also planned.
- Article supplied by Bayleys
