Northland business park is close to port and lake, reports Colin Taylor
KEY POINTS:
A 64-hectare Marsden Point industrial park development in Northland, with a 3ha artificial lake as its central feature, is now offering individual sites for sale by expressions of interest through Barfoot and Thompson Commercial.
Lakeside Business Park at 453 Marsden Point Rd, Ruakaka, is close to Marsden Point's deepwater port, State Highway One and a proposed extended rail link to the port. The park comprises individual titles ranging from 1000sq m to 10,000sq m that are just 300m from the white sands of Bream Bay and border Department of Conservation land.
"The developer, John Keith, has also indicated he would consider selling any number of combinations of industrial sites up to and including the total 64ha land area," says Barfoot and Thompson Commercial agent Paul Rosenberg, who is selling the property with colleagues Roy Bhula, Sid Turner, Martin Dear and Cam Paterson.
Paterson says the sub-division has been priced extremely competitively, with sections starting from as low as $150 per sq m on some titles plus GST fully serviced.
"The sites have been worked down to a hard base and are ready to go while some neighbouring sites are selling for up to $220 per square metre in an unprepared state. Flexible opportunities to purchase have been put into place with finance up to 80 per cent for approved purchasers," Paterson says.
"Section prices have also been set to the advantage of initial purchasers with competitive rates for lease to purchase or to lease as well."
The industrial park is already up and running, with 15 businesses established there - including South Pacific Industrial, Carter Holt's Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), North Sawn Lumber, Garden and Hardware, Paterson Contractors, Marsden Point Welding, Compost Grid, Atlas Concrete, Allied Concrete, Enviro Sands and Whangarei Motocross.
South Pacific Industrial was involved in frigate construction for the New Zealand Navy and is one of the major engineering contractors at the Marsden Point oil refinery, while Carter Holt's highly successful plant, established three years ago, is one of the biggest LVL plants in the southern hemisphere.
Sites are predominantly zoned Business 4, the heaviest industrial classification for the Whangarei District Council, equivalent to Auckland's Business 6 zoning. A small strip at the front of the development block is zoned Business 2, allowing for retail activity that is similar to Auckland's Business 4 zoning.
Rosenberg says Stage One of the industrial subdivision covers an area of 10.86ha. The balance of Stages 2 and 3 comprises about 51ha and, although the first stage is being marketed, interest in the remaining blocks is welcome at this stage.
"The site is within 1km of the township of Ruakaka and about 4km from the Marsden Point oil refinery and deep water port," Rosenberg says.
"The finished development will be one of the closest industrial parks to the township of Ruakaka."
"It comprises sections catering for the high demand of heavy industrial space and also some 31 sections featuring lakefront water views that will offer an attractive working environment and live-work options for purchasers."
"These sites will be just a five-minute walk to the white sands of Ruakaka Beach."
Rosenberg says the sites available for purchase are undeveloped sections awaiting entitlement.
"However, construction can start immediately as sites available have been worked to a solid sand and metal base with all amenities and services to be provided and the vendor is comfortable to commence construction on 10 per cent deposits."
The issue of titles is expected to be a maximum of 24 months away and occupancy can be immediate on a lease arrangement until these are issued. "Leaseback with right of purchase and design-build options are available along with generous vendor finance packages for one or several sites," Rosenberg says.
The Lakeside Business Park is the brainchild of developer Keith, whose family bought the land over the past 12 years to grow crops and establish a sand-mining operation.
"Sand was sold to the majority of the concrete plants in the North and also used as landfill for subdivisions at One Tree Point near Ruakaka and at the port," says Rosenberg. "The site is all sand going down to around 15m. When the power station and refinery were constructed, it was stated that sand was the ultimate foundation to build on."
It was the Keith family's sand operation that created the 3ha lake, which doubles as a stormwater catchment for the business park with the rainwater naturally filtered through the sand.
The feature artificial lake will be fully landscaped with waterfront walkways and there is also a proposal to have a floating bar and restaurant facility on the lake itself.
"It is proposed that the lake area will be vested in a charitable entity that will maintain the stormwater service reticulated to the lake," Rosenberg says.
"An annual levy will be imposed on landowners that discharge stormwater into the lake to cover the costs of upkeep of the lake and other common areas. The lake is about 6m deep and the long-term objective is to have trout inhabiting it. It has not been designed for swimming but will serve as a centre point with walkways right around it planted in native vegetation and it might make an ideal place for a model boat club."
The developer has established the Lakeside industrial park along the lines of a "cluster system", with like businesses and similar industries grouped together with the possibility of sharing services.
This allows businesses to focus on their core processes and save costs on overheads.
"By bringing together the expertise of Northland's most forward-thinking companies including planners, engineers, project managers, accountants, lawyers, surveyors, entrepreneurs and marketing personal, Lakeside Business Park has become a business incubator with a vision of assisting new purchasers and tenants establish themselves there," Rosenberg says.
All roads within the subdivision will be vested in Whangarei District Council, ensuring quality roading maintenance, and an on-site project team will assist purchasers to design and build their premises to council standards.
