– The Huntly i-Site is available for $520 a year after being closed since 2019.
– Waikato District Council seeks community groups to lease the vandalised building and share repair costs.
– Expressions of interest close on August 8, with preference for groups contributing to repairs.
A landmark Huntly building, once a popular pit stop for people driving between Auckland and Hamilton but now a target for vandals, is up for grabs for a peppercorn rent of $520 a year.
The Huntly i-Site, on the bank of the Waikato River, closed its doors in 2019 just before the Waikato Expressway opened, diverting motorists away from the town.
The barn-style building at 156 Great South Road has been empty ever since, with Waikato District Council using it as a storage space.
However, in recent years, it has been the subject of repeated vandalism, with windows missing and the property in a general state of disrepair.
Part of the building is on a recreational reserve, which restricts what it can be used for. Photo / Supplied
The council has decided it’s time for a new tenant for the 140sqm building and is asking for expressions from community groups. Because the building sits on reserve land, interested groups must show how their activities will provide a recreational benefit.
The rent is cheap, just $520 a year plus GST, but the cost of bringing the mid-1990s building up to scratch could hurt.
Waikato District Council deputy general manager of service delivery Anthony Averill said the repair work included general maintenance, some interior plastering and painting, electrical work, and the installation of new windows.
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“There is quite a bit of work to be done to the building, so we are hoping to see if there’s a community group prepared to work with us on it.”
The council was prepared to chip-in, but wanted buy-in from a tenant with the financial means to contribute to the work.
Averill said the council was “open-minded” about the next tenant, provided it was a registered community entity.
“We’ve had quite a bit of interest on our Facebook page and it looks like quite a few people have seen it.”
Expressions of interest opened last week and close on August 8. Council staff would then assess the applications and, with input from the local ward councillor, would assess the applications.
The successful application would likely be the one that had the most potential to succeed and was prepared to contribute to the cost of repairing the building, Averill said.
The old information site building was identified as the largest council-owned building that was under-utilised as part of a wider council review of its property portfolio.