Auckland Council Civic building sold for housing, hotel development

Auckland City Council Administration building has been sold for development. Photo / File

Auckland Council has struck a deal to sell the Civic Administration Building and surrounding land in Aotea Square for a housing, hotel, retail, office and gallery development.

Mayor Len Brown will tomorrow announce that the council has entered into a heads of agreement with a developer, Tawera Group, to lead the work. The price of the sale has not been released.

Tawera has refurbished several older office buildings in the area, including the Hopetoun Residences in Hopetoun St, Park Lane Apartments in Greys Ave and St James Apartments opposite the Auckland Art Gallery.

The development will involve the refurbishment of the Civic building and surrounding site to provide 120 homes, a hotel, office and retail space and a gallery/performance space.

The 100m-tall Civic building was New Zealand's first skyscraper. It was designed in the 1950s and completed in 1966. It has been criticised as an ugly box, but many architects marvel at its features.

The building gained a Category A heritage classification in the council's Unitary Plan. A more detailed development agreement will address issues with the heritage status involving consultants and the council's heritage team.

Early last year, the council moved about 450 staff from the Aotea Square building to the old ASB Tower in Albert St.