ASB Bank Tower Set To Attract International Interest

ASB Bank Tower Set To Attract International Interest

Wellington, 4 November 2011 - One of Wellington’s most prominent waterfront office buildings, the 16-storey ASB Bank Tower at 2 Hunter Street, has come up for sale.

Marketed on behalf of the receiver, Barry Jordan of Deloitte, by joint agencies CBRE and Colliers international, the building is for sale by international tender closing 4pm on 6 December 2011, unless sold prior.

“This is an outstanding long-term investment opportunity,” says Ryan Johnson of CBRE. “Not only does the building have a commanding waterfront location close to Lambton Quay, but its tenants also read like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the world’s most prominent businesses. ANZ Bank, JP Morgan, CBRE and Rio Tinto are just four of the pre-eminent global brands that make up the exceptional tenant mix in this building.”

Part of a well-known twin-tower complex, the ASB Bank Tower was designed by leading architects Craig, Craig and Moller and built by Mainzeal, with construction completed in 1988.

The building is currently at approximately 70% of New Building Standard (Grade B on the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering’s grading scheme) with the ability to increase to 85% (Grade A).

The tower occupies a 1,387m² leasehold site and offers a net lettable area of 9,220m² through its 16 storeys, plus basement parking for 70 cars. The land is leased from Wellington City Council in perpetuity, with a current lease term that runs for 21 years from 1 January 2006 at a ground rental of $498,000+GST per annum. The rental is reviewable on renewal.

Bill Leckie says major tenants include Arawata Assets (ANZ), the Electricity Authority, CBRE, Korean Embassy, Cisco Sytems, Milford Asset Management and Rio Tinto Aluminium.

“The current net income is $2,260,000+GST per annum from the building’s 84% occupancy. The potential exists to create a significant rental upside, as income could be increased to a potential $2,817,000+GST with the building fully leased, and opportunities exist to renegotiate with existing tenants to improve the weighted average lease term.”

Richard Findlay adds that the building enjoys one of the best locations in Wellington. “The property has a peerless waterfront location on the corner of Jervois Quay and Hunter Street, diagonally opposite the ANZ Building and TSB Events Centre. Its prime CBD spot is just moments from Lambton Quay and Willis Street, with the added benefit of easy access to Wellington’s increasingly vibrant waterfront.

“The upper levels of the building enjoy some of the best views available in Wellington, commanding 360-degree views over the central city, Wellington harbour, Mount Victoria and the Te Aro commercial district. It is also well serviced by Wellington’s main arterial transport routes, and located within minutes of Wellington’s urban motorway system.”

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2010 revenue).

The company has approximately 31,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide.

CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting.

Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

About Colliers International

Colliers International is the third largest commercial real estate services company in the world with 15,000 professionals operating out of more than 480 offices in 61 countries.

Colliers provides a full range of services to real estate users, owners and investors worldwide, including corporate solutions, brokerage, property and asset management, hotel investment sales and consulting, valuation, consulting and appraisal services, mortgage broking and research.

In April 2011, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recognised Colliers International as New Zealand’s top performing commercial, industrial and retail sales agency, winning all three awards at the annual RICS NZ Awards.

The latest annual survey by the Lipsey Company ranked Colliers International as the second most recognised commercial real estate firm in the world.

ENDS

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