Wellington airport control tower 'Arnold' sold to developer

Sold! Arnold the Wellington control tower has found a private buyer. Photo / Supplied

The Wellington Air Traffic Control Tower, affectionately known as Arnold, has been sold to a private buyer.

The old airport tower on Tirangi Road went up for sale by owners Airways New Zealand after almost 60 years of service. Arnold, was replaced by Wellington's current 'leaning control tower' in 2018 and has been sat in disuse in the middle of the residential road ever since.

Real Estate agent Billy Bell who oversaw the sale told the Herald it was one of the most unusual properties to come up on the Wellington property market.

"We've had unusual looking houses, but never anything quite like this," he said, of the property which was being sold through Tommy's Real Estate Wellington.

Room with a view: Arnold offers stunning views for aviation fanatics. Photo / Supplied

While the tower sits on an acre of land with scope to be redeveloped into housing, the proximity to the airport comes with its own challenges for property developers or future tenants.

"There are a lot of hoops to jump thorough. Nobody's ever sold a property like it, and because of its proximity to the airport, planning new developments on the site may not be the easiest option," said Bell.

Offering impressive 360 views over Wellington airport and Lyall Bay, the control tower office might be quirky enough to attract some lofty grand designs – in spite of the cramped floor plan.

However, at a guide price of $895000, it's a serious investment for any aviation fanatic.

Last night Bell shared the news that Arnold had found a new buyer.

Just Sold - Wellington Airport Control Tower ✈️ A huge couple of weeks with over 100,000 views across the globe but it'...

Posted by Billy Bell - Tommy's Real Estate on Tuesday, October 27, 2020

On a post to Facebook, Bell said it had been "a huge couple of weeks with over 100,000 views across the globe but it's now time for this iconic landmark to change hands."
At this stage there was nothing further to share about the future of Arnold or the identity of the tower's new owner.

As a charity commission Bell told the Herald that their fee would be donated to the Wellington Children's Hospital Foundation.