Evangelist's 8.9ha city estate for sale

Tropicana is one of the largest remaining privately owned landholdings in inner Auckland.

One of the largest remaining privately owned blocks of land in inner Auckland is for sale.

The estate, with an estimated market value of $16.2 million, is in Lynfield, 10km from the Auckland CBD.

Covering five titles and spread across 8.92ha, the property is owned by Wilfred Allen "Bill" Subritzky.

Mr Subritzky, 87, was a lawyer and property developer from the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s, but more recently has been known as an independent evangelist and healer.

His property, known as Tropicana because of its proximity to Lynfield's Tropicana Drive, is zoned a mix of Residential 5 and 6A and has four sealed entrances.

Harcourts' sales consultant David Nightingale said he expected investors, developers or "visionary syndicates" would explore the possibilities the property offered.

The property includes a 509sq m family home, architecturally designed in the 1960s by McLachlan and Stemson, with coastal and sea views, a pool and tennis court. There is a separate wing of seven offices, a separate 118sq m house and additional storage sheds.

Mr Nightingale said when Mr Subritzky bought the property 56 years ago it was covered in gorse and scrub, however, it had since been extensively landscaped. Sheep are kept on 3ha with a large ecological bush area covering another 2ha.

He said Mr Subritzky was selling Tropicana "after many happy years raising a family and running a business from the property".

"He is a little sad ... but is philosophical about Auckland's need for housing and the opportunity his property presents."

The property is up for tender which closes on January 10, 2014.