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By next year, the Car-fe Takapuna site may be a good place to hire a trailer or buy a car.
The car-grooming business started by broadcaster and former league star Matthew Ridge has been shut since September.
Since then, North Shore businesses have been nutting out new uses for the prominent site at 87 Barrys Point Rd, near the Northern Motorway offramp.
Andrew Bruce of Harcourts has taken many inquiries about the high-profile property which he said was unusual but could be adapted for new uses.
Car and motorbike dealers, equipment-hire businesses, retailers and caterers had all shown an interest in the property, he said.
Ridge is asking $120,000 annually in rent plus GST and outgoings for the property, which has a 250sq m cafe on the ground floor, upstairs offices, open-walled car washing area (which could be enclosed) and central turning bay.
A severe shortage of carparking on the site has turned many businesses away because they would be unable to meet council parking requirements.
Insiders reckon Ridge might sell the place if he was offered around $2 million. He did not dismiss that. "My preference is to lease it, but hey, if someone wants to buy it ... it's a great site, good exposure. Everything's for sale but it's a property that's hard to come by in that situation."
The Greenlane Car-fe is still open. In 2004, Ridge said he hoped to eventually expand the business overseas.
