Arts centre set to get huge new neighbour a big red shed

Pah Homestead could soon embrace a new feature - The Warehouse's latest store and carpark. Photo / Janna Dixon.

The park-like view from Auckland's restored Pah Homestead could soon embrace a new feature - The Warehouse's latest store and carpark.

The company's property arm, Eldamos Investments, is seeking resource consent to build a Warehouse store and other shops on a 2.4ha site at 100 Pah Rd, where the distinctive Holeproof building was demolished this year.

A pile of the old building's brown bricks can be seen from the veranda of the homestead, which was restored for $10 million by Auckland City Council to become the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre.

About 35,000 people have visited the arts centre in the three months since it opened, many of them strolling the lawns about the 1877 building and adjoining Monte Cecilia Park, which the council bought for $32 million and seeks to expand.

Arts patron James Wallace, who fitted out the building for a gallery, said the visitor figure was a greater response than expected.

"It is due to the beautifully restored house and the changing art works displayed in it, the grounds with a growing number of pieces of sculpture, the cafe and the beautiful Monte Cecilia Park.

"The park is a little known oasis and must be protected from the invasion of unsightly commercial buildings for the sake of the people of Auckland and other visitors."

Part of the eastern view from the homestead is industrial building roofs, including the Sanitarium Health Food Company building, which borders the site bought by The Warehouse in 2004 for $11.3 million.

Puketapapa Local Board chairman Richard Barter said his main concern about the proposal was its affect on established businesses in Royal Oak, including loss of service and product knowledge to the community.

Board member Michael Wood said the community had only till December 3 to submit views on the development, which infringed a number of District Plan controls and covered residential as well as business zones.

"A lot of residents have no idea about the proposal and we will do a mail drop in the area to encourage them to voice any concerns."

Royal Oak Mall has 62 shop owners, and management spokesman Steve Sampson said most were owner-occupiers who offered specialised services.

"They would be concerned if specialty retail shops sprang up in addition to The Warehouse."

However, the development was welcomed by Gary Prohm, whose Mt Albert Rd automotive business borders the site.

"It has a major impact on us because it has not been used and has attracted homeless, vandals and thieves to the area."

A spokeswoman for The Warehouse said the proposal was for "our new modern look" store and was similar in size to its building in Lincoln Rd, Henderson. The present roading network was suitable for the development.

The company's landscape consultant considered the proposal had "no perceptible adverse visual effects from wider viewpoints such as Monte Cecilia Park and One Tree Hill".