Rare historic shot tower in Auckland up for grabs for only $NZ50,000
It’s 35 metres tall, takes up an area of ground about 100 square metres and you can’t demolish it or make any substantial changes.
But liquidators are hoping a 1914 shot tower will attract a bid of at least $NZ50,000 ($48,000) to help repay its owners’ debt to Auckland Council.
Shot Tower Mt Eden Limited, now in liquidation, is owned by property developer Tony Gapes.
It owns an historic tower on a prime piece of Auckland land, on Normanby Rd, Mt Eden.
A public outcry led to Gapes protecting the tower – in return for the council agreeing to waive a $NZ526,000 financial contribution due on the apartment, according to media reports at the time.
The land the tower sits on was carved out on to a separate title.
But rates were not paid on that land, Grant said, and the company that owned it was put into liquidation. Grant said about $NZ20,000 was owed to the council.
Shot Tower Mt Eden was put into liquidation in November. It had been struck off the Companies Register but was restored in January.
Gapes has been contacted for comment.
The shot tower, on Normanby Rd, Mt Eden, is the last remaining 20th century tower of its sort Australasia. It was built to produce lead ammunition as demand increased during the World War I.
Ammunition was made from melting lead and dropping it from the height of the tower into water.
The Colonial Ammunition Company that used the tower closed in 1986. The tower has category one heritage status.
Grant said the tower could be used for marketing or signage. He said offers were sought at around $NZ50,000.
“I might get lucky and get 2degrees or Vodafone wanting to buy it. I’m not optimistic at all that we’ll get a buyer for it but I’m definitely going to attempt to sell it and get the council its money back.”
He said he didn’t not know how safe it would be to climb the tower now.
A report in 2001 said the tower was “suffering extensive corrosion, a deteriorating cladding, the steel floor of its construction pod is dangerous and structurally unsound, the wooden floor at level seven of the tower is unsafe and structural failure of a number of welds has occurred”.
Offers are sought until the end of February.
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