The Tea Kiosk at 250 Puhi Huia Rd on the slopes of Mt Eden.
The Tea Kiosk at 250 Puhi Huia Rd on the slopes of Mt Eden.
Hospitality space within the well-known Tea Kiosk located on the slopes of the volcanic cone and popular tourist attraction of Mt Eden-Maungawhau is being offered for lease by JLL's retail team following a programme to restore the historic building.
"This site is an ideal fit for an independent, new and trendy cafe," says Chris Beasleigh, national director of retail sales and leasing at JLL, who is heading a marketing campaign to lease the building on behalf of the T?puna Maunga O T?maki Makaurau Authority and Auckland Council.
JLL's retail team is calling on all interested parties to respond to its request for proposals to lease the 355 sq m premises at 250 Puhi Huia Rd, Mt Eden, by Friday June 26. The rental price on the premises will be by negotiation with a minimum five year lease term plus rights of renewal.
The property encompasses 229 sq m of dining area and kitchen facilities, a 58.4 sq m, information centre, 67.2 sq m of toilet facilities along with 19 customer car parks.
"Due to the high profile location, we anticipate this distinct property will generate a high volume of interest within the hospitality industry," Beasleigh says. "The historical site of Maungawhau would enable a new business operator to incorporate the Tea Kiosk's special setting into its business - supporting and relaying the cultural and historical significances of the mountain to visitors."
The Tea Kiosk is located within the Mt Eden-Maungawhau Domain on the northern slopes of the well known Auckland landmark to the south east of the city's central business district. Commissioned by the Mount Eden Borough Council and designed by architect A. Sinclair O'Conner, the building was erected on Mt Eden in 1926 and has been occupied as a tea rooms and restaurant in the past.
The building is on a single level and designed in a Spanish Mission style with a main gabled roof clad and Winstone's terra cotta roof tiles. Gabled walls to each end feature circular vents and a plain parapet capping.
The Tea Kiosk is accessed from Puhi Huia Road with a driveway leading up to the south side of the kiosk to a parking area on the west side. Another area of car parking is located at a lower level to the south of the building. A garden setting around the kiosk enhances landscaped features like a level terrace, stone walls and steps.
Beasleigh says the Tea Kiosk has significant views from the north terrace, filtered by trees that overlooks the lower slopes of the mountain and out towards Auckland City.
The Tea Kiosk is one of four European structures on the mountain that have been assessed as having considerable significance in the Maungawhau Mt Eden Conservation Plan.
Chris Beasleigh of JLL
The mountain is a popular tourist attraction with visitors walking and driving daily to its summit which features panoramic views of Auckland.
"We believe the perfect operator will revitalise and increase tourist numbers to the mountain while promoting and retaining its historical background," Beasleigh says. "We envisage the future occupier will offer a variety of services to both the locals and the many tourists that flow through the area."
"In addition to a normal cafe or restaurant operation, the future tenant will need to provide products like takeaway food and beverage, ice-cream, sunscreen and postcards and retain the existing information kiosk." Beasleigh says the Tea Kiosk has recently undergone earthquake strengthening to ensure the building is compliant to 100 per cent of the current new building standards (NBS).
"With the strengthening work now completed, the building is now restored to its former glory with its historic integrity and character retained."
Under the provisions of the Historic Places Act, Mt Eden-Maungawhau is termed an archaeological site, so the Tea Kiosk cannot be destroyed, damaged or modified without authority from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
Approximately 10.5 hectares of the upper portion of the mountain is classified as a Historic Reserve, under Section 18 of the Reserves Act for the purposes of protecting and preserving in perpetuity the place, objects and natural features of historic, archaeological, cultural, educational and other special interest.
Beasleigh says the JLL retail team expects the premises will appeal to a new cafe operator that will "reinvent the area" - driving foot traffic by providing an entertainment and function area that acknowledges the history of Mt Eden-Maungawhau and the kiosk itself.
What's on offer? For lease: Mt Eden's historic Tea Kiosk.
• Located in the popular Mt Eden-Maungawhau Domain. • Recently restored and seismically upgraded. • Now meets 100 per cent of New Building Standard. • Rental price by negotiation. • Minimum five year lease plus rights of renewal.
