Disaster recovery firm's sale could be a buyer's good fortune

The building occupied by Plan B at 23 Arrenway Drive, Albany, has an excellent internal fit-out. Photo / Supplied

The high-tech Albany premises of Plan B, an award-winning company that helps other firms recover from disaster, is up for sale for the first time since its site was completed in 2003.

Plan B's highly visible standalone building sits on an elevated double site at 23 Arrenway Drive, overlooking the northern motorway at Rosedale, and is being offered to the market with spare land available for potential development.

Featured in Bayleys' latest Total Property portfolio, the Plan B property is for sale by deadline private treaty with offers closing on September 8, and is being marketed by John Algie and Nigel McNeill of Bayleys Auckland with Stephen Scott of Bayleys North Shore Commercial.

Plan B, which provides business-continuity services to more than 600 organisations throughout New Zealand, will take an initial six-year lease back, with rights to renew for a further 12 years, over its purpose-built 698sq m office premises which cost substantially more to build than comparable properties at the time.

Woosh Wireless also leases aerial space on the property, which will offer its new owner initial net annual rental income of $251,689, with two-yearly rent reviews.

Plan B was established to help businesses affected by unplanned events such as fire, water damage and server failure. It provides data backup and protection services plus access to fully provisioned offices throughout the country, along with the infrastructure to keep businesses operational. Plan B has helped some of the country's largest companies recover from various disasters, including the recent Christchurch earthquakes.

Last year it won the IBM Business Partner "Green & Beyond" award and this year it is a finalist in two categories of the Westpac Auckland North Business awards - one for the best emerging business and the other for excellence in technology.

McNeill says the internal fit-out of the premises is one of the best he's ever seen: "They have spent a lot on it and it does have that 'wow' factor."

The fit-out makes extensive use of polished concrete floors, natural wood trimmings and feature carvings, with painted corrugated iron feature walls and the latest telecommunications technology.

The offices are fully air-conditioned and McNeill says the building provides a pleasant working environment with a mezzanine-level cafeteria and purpose-built offices, excellent amenities and facilities throughout.

Algie says the 2086sq m site, about double that of surrounding properties, makes it a good proposition for someone wanting to develop it further or for future Plan B expansion, if this was required.

The land, which has full-height electric security fencing around it, has 50 secure on-site parking spaces on its fully sealed yard.

"It is probably one of the most valuable sites within the Albany Heights business park subdivision," says Algie.

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