Three tower projects planned for Manukau

A large piece of central Manukau land for sale is set to spawn a major commercial office and hotel development as part of a wider makeover of the vital South Auckland hub.

The nearly 9,800-square-metre site now on the market comes with an approved resource consent to deliver what is considered one of Manukau’s most significant developments since the South Auckland powerhouse joined the Super City in 2010.

Under a masterplan developed by top Asia-Pacific design house DKO Architecture, the project would see the site on Lambie Drive subdivided and developed across four lots. Three will give rise to a 10-level, 148-room hotel, and two office towers of nine and 11 storeys, with a fourth lot of some 1,778 square metres reserved for future development.

The freehold property at 33 Lambie Drive, Manukau, Auckland, is being marketed for sale by Bayleys Real Estate and CBRE. It will be sold by deadline private treaty closing on Thursday 27th November, unless it is sold prior.

Bayleys salesperson Peta Laery said the project would capitalise on a shortage of quality visitor accommodation and office space, and car parking, in the area.

“The hotel, complete with restaurant/bar, multiple meeting rooms and on-site parking, will target a wide range of corporate and leisure guests. The smart office buildings, each with open floor plates, curtain wall glazing and five levels of parking, will cater to strong local demand from government, council and corporate occupiers.

“The standout corner location, with dual street frontages and excellent public transport connections, is ripe for development at scale. Situated in the centre of Manukau, the civic, commercial and cultural heart of South Auckland, it offers developers a rare chance to make their mark and shape the city’s future through a forward-thinking, mixed-use, transit-oriented project.

“The spread of development across four lots provides flexibility to develop at scale, stage development, or sell subdivided sites,” Laery said.

An existing single-storey office building on the site is partially leased to the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, offering new owners a net holding income of $163,119 plus outgoings and GST per annum.

The lease agreement includes a demolition clause enabling the owner to end the lease at 12 months’ notice for development.

The Lambie Drive land sits squarely in Manukau’s Metropolitan Centre, one of just a handful of centres across the city zoned for growth and intensification at a scale second only to Auckland’s CBD. This zone allows buildings of up to 18 storeys for the likes of retail, office and mixed-uses - giving scope for buyers to consider alternative projects to maximise use of the land.

Brad Ross, of CBRE, said development fundamentals were underpinned by Manukau’s status as a thriving metropolitan hub.

“Strategically positioned at the junction of the Southern and Southwestern motorways, around 23 kilometres south of Auckland’s city centre, Manukau is the largest commercial centre in Auckland outside the CBD.

“It contributes some 14 percent of the region’s GDP and serves as the main service hub to the entire South Auckland area, with exceptional connectivity via the motorways, integrated train and bus stations, and proximity to Auckland Airport, which is just a 15-minute drive away.

“With Westfield Manukau, two leading education institutions and many central and local government offices, plus a vast array of commercial and retail businesses, the area has proven itself as a resilient and stable hub.

“There are now opportunities to leverage a structural shortage of quality buildings needed to take Manukau forward on its growth journey - and the property for sale on Lambie Drive is at the heart of this,” Ross said.

Manukau city centre is undergoing a major transformation through the 20-year Transform Manukau programme led by Auckland Council and supported by significant public and private investment.

Spanning some 600 hectares, the programme focuses on creating a vibrant, mixed-use urban centre.

The area at the heart of this transformation is projected to grow rapidly, swelling from 6,000 households to over 10,500 households with 20,000 residents by 2040 – adding demand for services and amenities. Job numbers are expected to soar by 22,500 from 2018 levels, to around 56,000 by 2050.

Recent projects include the revitalisation of Putney Way, upgrades to Hayman Park (directly opposite 33 Lambie Drive), and new residential developments.

Important infrastructure investments are also underway, such as the $1.3 billion Mill Road Corridor project, which will improve arterial connections between Manukau and Drury, and new walking and cycling links connecting AUT, Manukau Institute of Technology and Manukau Plaza.

The City Rail Link, due to open in 2026, will further improve public transport connections by boosting the train network’s capacity and frequency.