Toast of historic Vulcan Lane

The popular O'Carroll's pub in Auckland's Vulcan Lane is flanked by the Occidental and Queens Ferry watering holes. Photo / Supplied

The historic five-level building containing the well known O'Carroll's pub and which once housed one of Auckland's early newspapers in Vulcan Lane is being offered for sale.

Known as the Leon Brook building at 10 Vulcan Lane, the property is being marketed through Henry Thompson and Stuart Bode of Bayleys and is for sale by tender closing Wednesday, 4pm on April 7 at the offices of Bayleys Real Estate, 4 Viaduct Harbour Ave.

Comprising basement, ground and three upper floor tenancies, the building has been occupied by the Irish Bar Company operating as O'Carroll's with the pub occupying the 91.4sq m basement and 92.7sq m ground floor. Level one of 90sq m is leased to Raw Power, an organic cafe, the 90.9sq m level two space is leased to Mission Corp and the 89.9sq m level 3 is occupied by Second Sight Recruitment Services.

The total 454.9sq area generates annual rental of $246,267.

It is believed that a brick store was constructed on the site of the building around 1877 but it is not known if the late Victorian or Edwardian building was renovated in 1900 or if a new masonry and timber building was erected. However, it is known the Leon Brook building was occupied by John Dickson Wickham who founded the Free Lance newspaper in 1879.

It would seem readers were not averse to approaching Mr Wickham very directly at his Vulcan Lane office if they disagreed with something published in his newspaper.

A United Press Association "telegraphic" news item from Auckland published in the Hawke's Bay Herald in 1883 reported that: "Some sensation was caused this afternoon by an assault on Mr J.D. Wickham, proprietor of the Free Lance, by Dr Harrison who asked him the name of the writer of a letter signed 'Figaro'. Mr Wickham declined to furnish the information required, whereupon he was made the recipient of a sudden blow from his interviewer and the next moment his face was covered in blood. Mr Wickham immediately locked the doors and, sending for a policeman, gave Dr Harrison into the custody of Sergeant MacMahon. Mr Wickham got a nasty cut on his head and his hair, face, and clothes were bespattered with blood."

No 10 Vulcan Lane at one time contained offices for trotting and jockey clubs, handily positioned between the Occidental and Queens Ferry taverns which were well-known haunts of the gambling fraternity.

In 1920 it was purchased by Arthur Eady who had founded an orchestra in Auckland and who was associated with musical businesses. From the 1950s until the 1970s, the basement of "the Eady building" was the Coffee Bean Lounge - a popular hangout with the younger generation of the day.

Thompson said the Leon Brook Building was previously registered as a Historic Place under the Historic Places Act 1980 and registration of the building was currently under investigation in relation to the current 1993 act.

The building sits on a 113sq m section with a 6.4m frontage to the lane and a depth of 18.3m.

"The site is generally rectangular in shape and follows the contour of Vulcan Lane," said Thompson. "The property has a prominent frontage to Vulcan Lane and there is also an entry to the building via the rear service lane."

Thompson said it should be noted that O'Carroll's lease expires in September this year and the tenant has no right of renewal. "This provides add-value investors and or owner occupiers a rare opportunity to secure the freehold interest in this superb property and the highly sought-after ground floor retail tenancy currently occupied by Irish Bar Company trading as O'Carroll's.

"The tenant is in receivership and the receiver is running the business," Thompson said.

A stairway off Vulcan Lane provides access to the upper floors while the basement is reached from the ground floor.

The building comprises brick masonry walls, timber joists, wooden floors and internal framing with wooden double hinge sash windows and corrugated galvanised steel roof.

Bode said the building was in one of Auckland Region's major retail precincts occupied by high-end fashion retailers and surrounded by CBD's strong cafe culture.

"The property's central location means it can be easily reached by customers and employees," Bode said. "Adjacent Queen St is accessible via the city's major transport links - by car from the Northern, Southern and Northwestern Motorways; and within walking distance of about 500m to the Downtown railway station, the Britomart bus terminus and the harbour ferries building.

"The property, as well as the area in which it is located, is heritage registered due to its quality and character, making it a point of interest for anyone visiting Auckland's CBD."

Bode said the property was located in the core Strategic Management Area (SMA) which contained the most intensive concentration of commercial office, entertainment and retailing activities in the region and the country's largest concentration of high-rise buildings. "Vulcan Lane runs between Queen St which, as Auckland's main thoroughfare, recently received a $44 million dollar upgrade, and High St which is regarded as one of the more exclusive streets in the area."