New Devonport shops near Narrow Neck Beach

The nearly completed shops with apartments above at 69 Lake Rd, Devonport. Photo / Supplied

As Devonport is among Auckland's oldest suburbs the opportunities to lease new retail premises there are few and far between, says Isaac Tankard, of NAI Harcourts.

But Tankard — a North Shore commercial sales and leasing specialist — adds that such opportunities can still come up in the historic suburb.

"Despite the fact that Devonport has been fully developed of many years, with European history stretching back beyond 1840s, commercial activity always marches on," he points out.

"We're now in the highly unusual position of being able to lease out commercial units at 69 Lake Rd; both of which are due to be finished and ready for inspection later this month.

"To the best of my knowledge these two units represent the first such prospects at Devonport for some years. Keep in mind that much of the commercial stock at in this pretty old colonial suburb dates from early last century."

Tankard says the two units are at ground level in a newly constructed three-level building, having floor areas of about 78.2sq m, and about 69sq m respectively.

The four town houses and four apartments in the building have already been sold.

"Both these shop spaces have their own dedicated single car parks, while they also benefit from the presence of ample additional customer parking in Lake Rd itself."

An artist's impression of the completed three- level development. Photo / Supplied

Tankard calls the location "high profile", as it is set among group of shops on the busy road leading from Takapuna to Devonport, just past Belmont.

"This little group of shops is opposite Old Lake Rd, which runs down to Narrow Neck Beach and this attracts a huge amount of recreational traffic. It's a location with advantages, bearing in mind how busy Lake Rd can get at weekends and during rush hour.

"Driving in from Takapuna or Auckland City, this area is just a little bit easier to reach than the main shopping centre, which is right at the end of Lake Rd."

Tankard adds that the new shops — which are in Auckland Council's Mixed-Use Zone — are almost ready for their new occupants to move in.

"This development is a great example of the success of the Auckland Council Unitary Plan because, originally, the property was to comprise just a single retail shop, with one residential dwelling at its rear," he says.

"But with the Unitary Plan now operational this site can accommodate eight residential dwellings and two retail shops."