Focus on last sites needed for rail Auckland rail link

Photo / Thinkstock

Auckland Transport is negotiating with four parties on the last remaining properties standing in the way of its $2.5 billion City Rail Link.

A spokesperson said the parties had the final properties AT needs along its route. Auckland Transport has already spent $100 million buying 65 properties and is down to the final and probably most difficult real estate it must acquire to complete the above-ground transactions.

Notices of compulsory acquisition have been issued for properties owned by Mike and Julie Hoeft. He is an Auckland-based property specialist who works for a large business but did not wish to discuss the issues.

Negotiations for the Life church property have been going on for some years and will only be resolved once Auckland Transport finds a suitable replacement site so it can acquire that large site at 95 Mt Eden Rd. A city official predicted $10 to $20 million could be spent on that one property because people travel to the central location from all parts of Auckland.

"Putting them out somewhere like Avondale isn't an option," one expert source said.

Meanwhile, a final Environment Court ruling is anticipated to resolve issues with Tram Lease on its site at 32 Normanby Rd, partly leased to furniture and stationery supplies business OfficeMax.

An August 21 decision from chief Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook and two environment commissioners refused to allow the appeal by Tram Lease and building owner CJM Investments against Auckland Transport and Auckland Council over notices of requirement on that property. It is not being purchased but about 15 per cent - 700sq m - of the 4766sq m property is needed for temporary works for three to four weeks.

Works around that property include a grade separation of the Normanby Rd rail crossing, raising the existing road level and lowering the adjoining rail track, which will require an access ramp into the Tram Lease site. Tram Lease and CJM are concerned about the effects on the property.

In 2013 Paul Gunn, Tram Lease general property manager, gave a statement on how the CRL works would negatively affect 32 Normanby Rd.

"Whilst the proposed designation does not appear to affect any of the buildings, it directly affects 33 of the 41 carparks located on the site to service the various sub-tenancies, with access to a further five looking severely compromised," Gunn said.

"The proposed ramping works are expected to make access into and out of the carpark more difficult and likely affect the prominence of the buildings to Normanby Rd."

See a Google Map showing the Mt Eden Road site here: