The property is on the eastern side of Commerce St close to the intersection with Customs St.
It is one city block east of Queen St, a block from Quay St and the waterfront; and is close to the Britomart transport centre.
The proposed 48-storey residential tower has a buildable floor area of 36,000sq m and would have unobstructed northerly views of Auckland's harbour and the Hauraki Gulf.
The plans show a 170m high structure that would eclipse the nearby 167m Vero Centre, the tallest occupied building in the city.
Auckland's tallest non-occupied structure is the Sky Tower at 328m.
However, the proposed 209m 52-level NDG Auckland Centre, envisaged by Shanghai businessman Furu Ding for the corner of Elliot St, Albert St and Victoria St would take over the mantle as Auckland's highest occupied building on completion. Ding's New Development Group plans for the tower include a 302-room hotel and entertainment centre, residential apartments, shopping, restaurants, a cinema and two sky-deck areas.
Artist's impressions of the tower, compared with existing landmarks.
"The architectural plan for the Commerce St and Gore Lane site is designed to demonstrate what could be built on the land given its zoning of Queen St valley precinct, strategic management area one," says James Chan, the Bayleys Auckland Central salesman who is marketing the site with its plans for sale by negotiation.
"The indicative plans show a 48-level residential building on the site.
"However, it is also suitable for the development of an office, hotel or mixed-use building," Chan says. The concept is for a ground level comprising the entry and retail section along Commerce St, a loading dock, plant rooms and entry garages for the parking levels employing a state-of-the-art vehicle stacking system.
Level 2 would house a 225sq m movement studio, storage lockers for the apartments and a refuse room with a lift to the loading dock.
Levels 3 to 10 would contain the automated car park stacking system with access from "virtual entry and exit garages" on the ground floor.
Each of the eight levels would have 27 dual-entry vehicle bays, a building total of 216 car park spaces.
Swipe card access would allow a car to enter one of the garages where an empty pallet would be waiting.
A driver would get out of the car, following which the pallet and the vehicle would be moved horizontally to a parking layer having an empty space.
The car on the pallet would be slid into the space.
When retrieving a vehicle, the driver would use an access card to activate the system and return the car to the virtual garage.
During the journey down the car would be rotated 180 degrees so that when it arrived in the garage on the ground floor, it would be ready to be driven out forwards.
Level 11 would have a gymnasium, swimming pool and large outdoor terrace.
Levels 12 to 48 would comprise 37 levels of residential apartments ranging from 55sq m to 600sq m.
The indicative architect's plan, which complies with the Auckland Council's residential apartment standards under the operative plan, shows 202 apartments that include two full-floor penthouses, six half-floor sub-penthouses, 20 three-bedroom plus study apartments, 64 two-bedroom plus study apartments and 110 one-bedroom plus study apartments.
"A three-level and a seven-level building currently occupy the site and they would provide good holding income if renovated," Chan says.
The area of town around the proposed tower has undergone considerable gentrification over the past six years, Chan said.
"The Britomart quarter has been instrumental in raising the quality of commercial tenancies around Auckland's downtown rail hub.
"In addition to the likes of blue-chip corporates such as Westpac and Ernst & Young relocating their offices to the area, there has also been the shift of fashion brands such as Karen Walker and Trelise Cooper to the precinct," he said.
"The area has also evolved significantly as a hospitality and entertainment hub with the emergence of bars and restaurants like Mexico, Cafe Hanoi, Ostro, Tyler Street Garage, 1885 and the Britomart Country Club.
"The site is being sold together with the development rights," Chan says. "A flexible width grid has been developed so that the internal floor plans can be easily changed to incorporate different internal layouts."
He says building covenants protecting Achilles House would ensure the historic six-storey building would remain unchanged.
Achilles House was built in 1904 as a kauri gum trading post for L.D. Nathan.
It underwent a substantial refurbishment - internally and externally - in 2009, which saw the modernisation of much of its infrastructure while retaining its characteristic features.
The building houses a mix of retail tenants at street level, with commercial occupants in the five levels above.
"The height covenant on Achilles House protects the views of a new tower block forever and also substantially increases the permissible floor area of the remainder of the adjoining land within the parcel," Chan says.
"Similarly, the nearby Britomart precinct is well developed now and has a nine-level height limit while its heritage-protected buildings will remain at their current heights, thereby protecting the views of the upper levels within the planned Commerce St tower where the first apartment level starts at level 12."
Tenants occupying the Commerce St buildings within the land and buildings parcel being offered for sale are retail outlets, all with demolition clauses with 12-month notifications - allowing for a gradual and clean transition into the construction phase required for any new high-rise development.
A luxury-branded $50 million five-star Sofitel hotel is being built on the eastern boundary of the land parcel.
This mid-rise hotel encompasses the facade and core structure of what was the former Reserve Bank building and is scheduled to open next year.
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