End of an era for Auckland Council Ōrewa building

A building complex in Ōrewa, complete with a Council chamber that has seen many debates and community presentations over the years, is to become a business park.

Council owned artwork, furniture and signs are being moved out and public services (such as rate paying and information) are relocating to Ōrewa Library and will be available there starting on July 1 (HM May 15).

Ōrewa Service Centre, at 50 Centreway Road, was the headquarters of the former Rodney District Council, which spent more than $20 million on an extension just prior to the formation of Auckland Council.

The 1.9ha site, zoned Mixed Use, was sold by Council to Sustainable Property Investments in 2020. Council has since been leasing space in there but that expires next month. Although definite dates are as yet unknown, Council is expecting to fully vacate the premises by the end of August.

The council chambers have been the main meeting place for the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board since the formation of the super city. When the sale of the building was originally mooted, in 2018, the local board sought assurances that it would have another purpose built alternative for its public meetings. Council staff have suggested that there will be meeting space in Ōrewa Library when that is rebuilt, and in the meantime the local board is expected to move to another site – potentially its East Coast Bays site in Browns Bay – for all meetings. The exact date for that is as yet unknown – even to the local board itself.

Once it shifts, it may have to remain at that base until the end of next year, which is when the reconstruction of Ōrewa Library, which includes a new mezzanine floor, is expected to be complete (HM April 17).

Meanwhile, 50 Centreway Road is being advertised online as Nexus Business Park. Bayleys commercial real estate agent Alex Perigo says details of how that could look are still being worked on.

Online marketing describes the site as ready to accommodate “diverse business needs”.

“Nexus Ōrewa aims to be a thriving community hub…with abundant space and an open approach to development,” it says.