Precinct's new office block on Halsey St, facing the Lighter Quay waterfront area. Photo / Auckland Council
Precinct's new office block on Halsey St, facing the Lighter Quay waterfront area. Photo / Auckland Council
Two new commercial building projects worth more than $600 million are planned for Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.
Precinct Properties and Mansons TCLM have applications with Auckland Council for cranes on their sites and documents seeking clearance give an insight into what those businesses are doing.
It also shows the changing faceof the Wynyard Quarter and more of a focus on its commercial potential.
If you think the office is dead, think again because these projects are purely commercial, offering new high-spec Green-Star-rated office space to a hungry market.
The buildings will create spaces for more than a thousand office workers, fulfilling what Auckland Council plans for the maritime area of a mixed-use, office/cafe/apartment/theatre/park/leisure area under what planners call the live/work/play model for the environment.
Luffing cranes needed to haul materials on the sites exceed height limits permitted under the volcanic view shaft for Maungawhau Mt Eden on the Precinct and Mansons sites.
Luffing cranes have jibs or horizontal arms able to be lifted and lowered, as opposed to a hammerhead crane which tends to be lower in height but does not have a height-adjustable jib.
Precinct's massive crane will be up for up to 23 months, while two Mansons cranes will be up for two years.
Precinct will develop a half-hectare or 5362sq m adjoining parcel of sites at 117 Pakenham St West and 124 Halsey St. Its new office block will be between Wynyard Central apartments and the waterfront, facing Halsey St.
To the north is 132 Halsey St, the apartment buildings separated from the ASB Waterfront Theatre by Madden St. Both apartment buildings were developed by Willis Bond.
Joined office buildings of three, eight and nine levels with basement car parking are already consented but the crane application is yet to be cleared and is up for public notification by February 24.
The Halsey Traders Building is the only structure on Precinct's site. Photo / Auckland Council
Consultants Barker & Associates' assessment of environmental effects says the flat site has only the single-level Halsey Traders building on it, adjacent to Lysaght Lane. Most of the land has been used for parking during the construction of developments at 10 Madden St and 132 Halsey St.
Plans show the Halsey Traders building will be kept on the site.
Precinct's marketing for 124 Halsey St says "a dynamic new development comprises three architecturally distinct buildings designed to spark creativity and support modern, more agile ways of working and collaborating".
Designs are by Warren & Mahoney and aim for a five-star Green Star rating.
Precinct's plans as the new building will look from Halsey St. Photo / Auckland Council
Precinct says: "[The 124 Halsey St] development comprises three buildings, architecturally distinct but operationally capable of being occupied as one. This design approach will allow businesses to occupy a single floorplate up to 3500sq m or alternatively have a private floorplate of up to 1100sq m."
The floorplates can be connected between two or three buildings, or inter-connected by air bridges.
"Whichever approach is selected, the floorplate offers the exceptional efficiency and flexibility required for agile working strategies. Across our portfolio, we are seeing occupiers utilising the flexible floorplate to reshape the way their business works. From open, transparent spaces and connected floors designed to encourage impromptu interactions and collaboration, to use of moveable furniture and mobile technology to adapt quickly to changes in business," Precinct says.
The double-glazed offices will aim for lower power consumption. Precinct cited 12 Madden St where water use is only 8L per person a day whereas in more typical office buildings, around 50L of water a day is used by one person.
Food and beverage operations are planned for the ground floors: 426sq m at 117 Pakenham St, 480sq m at the Flowers Building, 807sq m at 124 Halsey St and 177sq m in the Halsey Traders building.
The block at 117 Pakenham St is to be 7901sq m of commercial space, Flowers Building 1064sq m and 124 Halsey St 8679sq m.
Up to 185 basement car parks are planned.
Barker & Associates also submitted Mansons' documents for cranes on its sites at 121-127 and 129-135 Beaumont St.
That business has a much larger site than Precinct's at 6711sq m, where it is planning office blocks up to seven and eight levels high.
Details about the proposal were shared with 16 iwi groups and the Tūpuna Maunga Authority late last year. Te Ākitai Waiohua have expressed an initial interest in the proposal and the Tūpuna Maunga Authority have provided a letter outlining their views, Barkers said.
Mansons' plans for the site involve a large project worth around $500m.
