Tucked away just off Karangahape Road, a two-level standalone property offering live-work credentials is ideally positioned to leverage the connectivity advantages of the near-completed City Rail Link (CRL) project and the ongoing revitalisation of the wider K’Road precinct.

The property at 16 East Street is directly adjacent to the under-development Karanga-a-Hape station in Mercury Lane, is just 120 metres from K' Road, and 150m from the cycle/walkway, Lightpath Te Ara i Whiti which gives cycle and pedestrian access suspended above city motorways through to Victoria Street West.

Held in two freehold unit titles, the property is underpinned by a 281sqm fee simple title. It has a total building area of 435sqm, offering ground-floor commercial space including a large courtyard area accessed by generous retractable doors, an upper level four-bedroom apartment with full-width deck, plus on-grade garaging/workshop space.

The property is being sold with vacant possession via a tender process closing 27th May, unless sold prior, through Alan Haydock, Damien Bullick, and Kate Kirby of the Bayleys Auckland Metro team.

With Auckland Transport expecting to see up to 40,000 people using the Karanga-a-Hape Station entrances in Mercury Lane and Beresford Square every day, the broader K’Road precinct is expected to evolve quite rapidly, says Bullick.

“It’s an area that has already seen strong investment and growth, but the connectivity benefits of the CRL will turbocharge this further, helping to unlock additional higher density residential initiatives and innovative commercial projects.

“When construction of the CRL is complete in 2026, the upper section of Mercury Lane close to Karanga-a-Hape Station will open as a shared space, extending from south of the station to Karangahape Road and including a short section of Cross Street.

“It’s expected to become a really vibrant and cosmopolitan precinct and paves the way for this East Street property to be a cool live-work opportunity with retail, showroom or office space on the ground floor and sought-after upper-level apartment living.”

With the site zoned Business – City Centre, an intensive overlay, Kirby says it’s a highly strategic CBD location which would also carry weight for investors or add-value buyers.

“An investor will see split-risk potential in having two possible tenancies on residential and commercial terms in an area that has always been popular with the occupier market.

“The self-contained ground-floor commercial tenancy has previously been used as a café, retail shop and gallery/exhibition space with the large covered outdoor courtyard area coming into its own by extending the useable footprint.

“It would be equally well-suited to an office or workshop, whether client-facing or not. Meanwhile the spacious four-bedroom apartment with extra-large master room with walk-in wardrobe offers attractive city views and a deck running the full width.”

With K' Road’s wide range of amenities including cafes, eateries, and bars nearby, and already strong public transport links across the city via the bus network, Haydock says the subject property is in a value catchment high on convenience and accessibility.

“It has potential development upside, clear locational advantages, and stands to benefit from large-scale infrastructure and public amenity investment in the immediate neighbourhood.

“The K’Rd area is transforming and it will be interesting to watch how it unfolds further once the CRL is up and running, offering huge connectivity across the city network.”