Shake on it: $1.2. masonic lodge up for option

This St Heliers masonic lodge will go under the hammer tomorrow. Photo / Supplied

Fancy living in a Masonic Lodge? Now's your chance.

The old building on the corner of Hanene and Kotiri Sts, in St Heliers, is for sale.

Its members can no longer keep up with running costs and therefore it has to be sold.

Lodge hall manager Mike Cadman, who has been a member for the past 33 years, said it was sad to see it go given it was a building enriched with history.

Dubbed the Tamaki Lodge, it has been on the current site for 87 years, having previously been the Parnell Library.

"It was shipped down to the waterfront and then to St Heliers in 1924. At about 1965, it was enlarged quite a lot.

"It's a full Masonic Lodge room and it's got a room where we have meals and meetings," he said.

"I actually grew up in St Heliers so I remember it well.

"It really is sad we have to give it up."

The building has a Quotable Value of about $1.2 million, Mr Cadman said.

A Barfoot & Thompson advertisement shows the Masonic room in all its glory, with a large spacious room with a high ceiling and two pillars at the front.

The advertisement pitches it as a "privileged St Heliers location" that would be open for any renovation outlooks.

"Restore and convert the existing dwelling to an exclusive family residence, remove and build new or perhaps consider a two dwelling redevelopment," the advertisement reads.

Mr Cadman said there were around 80 current lodge members who met twice a week.

He said they had tried to get the lodge registered as a heritage building; but because so many renovations had been made to it, as well as building additions, it did not comply with rules.

"The council used to subsidise the building. We don't know why but about two years ago they stopped that.

"Ninety per cent of the time, the building's empty. The cost of operating, the rates and things - it's expensive. It is sad, but we have to be practical," Mr Cadman said.

Auction: 50 Kitchener St, City 10.30am tomorrow (unless sold prior).