The St James church in the Auckland suburb of Orakei was built in 1957. Combined, the church and neighbouring hall comprise 545.5 square metres of buildings sitting on 1,625 square metres of freehold land – zoned Business-Mixed Use under the Auckland Council Plan.

Auckland Council’s Business-Mixed Use zoning allows for developments which soften the demarcation line between purely commercial zones and residential areas. Subject to consents, buildings up to four storeys high can be constructed to a maximum height of 18 metres.

The predominantly rectangular block of land and the buildings on it at 152 Kepa Road have now been placed on the market for sale by tender through Bayleys Auckland, with tenders closing at 4pm on June 12 . Bayleys Auckland salespeople Mike Adams and Jean-Paul Smit said the freehold property was being sold as vacant possession.

The St James Church freehold land and two buildings encompass:

• A 334.7 square metre brick-walled church built on concrete piles with timber framing supporting an A-frame ceiling and roof up to 9.7 metres high. The rear portion of the church comprises two offices and two bathrooms. and

• The adjacent 210.8 square metre church hall relocated onto the property and used for scores of events ranging from Sunday school and bible studies through to community group meetings and events. The hall has a kitchen and two toilets.

Mr Adams said the property offered a plethora of owner occupier or development opportunities – ranging from utilising the buildings in their current formats or reconfiguring them to suit the needs of specific tenants, through to replacing them with a new low-rise block potentially containing shops and apartments.

“The property could also be reinstated as a place of worship for religious groups looking for an Inner-East Auckland headquarters and proves a very opportunity for such activities. The tar-sealed car park at the front of the property has parking for approximately 15 vehicles ” Mr Adams said.

The St James Church property is located close to a pocket of commercial premises serving the neighbouring residential community – with businesses and entities such as a Z-branded petrol station, the Orakei Community Centre, Orakei RSA, and a block of shops with take-aways, bakery and liquor tenancies.

Mr Smit said that neither of the former church buildings were heritage listed.

“With some 27 metres of street frontage onto Kepa Road, and 33.5 metres of rear boundary adjoining Kupe Reserve and the Orakei Tennis Club, it is certainly possible that the site could sustain an integrated premises with shops at street level and apartments above,” said Mr Smit.

Two major residential apartment complexes are currently under construction immediately to the southern side of the St James Church property – the 42-dwelling apartment complex known as Outlook Mission Bay, and the 41-residnce location known as Horizon Mission Bay.

“Land use intensification along the Kepa Road corridor has been a direct reflection of the theme outlined in the Auckland Unitary Plan – calling for residential developments in the city to go ‘up’ rather than ‘out’. And the land at 152 Kepa Road could certainly see that trend continue,” Mr Smit said.