Wanganui Furnishers purchased the Victoria Ave part of the property in 1959. Photo / Bevan Conley
A prime piece of real estate on lower Victoria Ave is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
Wanganui Furnishers has been an institution in the city for over 100 years and while its property is for sale, it isn’t the end of the business.
Director John Anderson said there were areas of the site - that stretches from Victoria Ave to St Hill St - that weren’t being fully utilised.
“It’s actually not very efficiently used because we’ve adapted what’s there,” he said.
“If we started from scratch operating the business side of things, we wouldn’t have come up with the solution we’ve got at the moment.
“That’s the reason we’re looking at selling the property - so opportunities can arise for everybody.”
The business, then known as the Wanganui Furniture Manufacturing Company, purchased the site in 1959.
It bought the rear property, on St Hill St, to expand operations in 1982.
Bayleys salesperson Amie Rowan said opportunities of this scale weren’t often available in Whanganui, particularly in such a tightly-held commercial and retail precinct.
“Moreover, retention by the current owners for more than 60 years has meant the property has maintained its grand scale and commanding position – making it a rarely available asset for a new owner with a view to the future,” she said.
The 2030 square metre property is up for sale by tender, closing on June 29.
Anderson said it was made up of seven or eight different structures that had been built at different times, all with their own story to tell.
One was constructed in the early 1900s as a photographer’s studio and dental practice.
“That definitely has some interesting historical features,” he said.
“It has the appearance of a brick house but it was never used as a residence at all.”
The business had been approached in the past about selling but it hadn’t suited at the time, Anderson said.
“We’re not developers. It needs that kind of mind and the ability to coordinate different influences to make things happen.”
He said there was a period of time from the 1930s onwards when Whanganui didn’t go through the growth that other centres experienced.
“That’s why we do have the buildings that come from earlier times.
“Development didn’t occur - where they would have been taken down or replaced.”
Whanganui had experienced significant positive growth across all key economic indicators in the last year, outperforming New Plymouth and Palmerston North, Bayleys salesperson Michael Bourne said.
“Employment remains high, retail is performing well, and sentiment is improving thanks to the reboot in tourism and migration, which has returned to pre-pandemic levels.”
Wanganui Furnishers had seen developments and trends during its time on Victoria Ave, Anderson said.
A turning point for the future was apartment living.
“All of the infrastructure in terms of recreation, restaurants, supermarkets, that kind of thing, are within easy reach.
“You don’t need a car necessarily. In that central area, there are cycleways and public transport to anywhere you want to go, really.
“Nationally, we’ve got a national housing shortage and continuing to spread over fertile land is not really the way for the future. More concentrated living, using the airspace, is where the future is.”
As for a possible sale, he said the business couldn’t count its chickens before they hatched.
“We (Wanganui Furnishers) do have some leeway in terms of timing. We wouldn’t be moving for a period of time anyway.
“Let’s just see what happens.”