- A historic Freemans Bay villa that survived Auckland’s slum clearances is now listed for sale.
- The property and another villa next door occupy a 490sqm mixed-use site permitting buildings up to 18 metres.
- The properties earn $109,606 annually, while their combined rating valuation is over $3.5 million.
A character villa that escaped up in Auckland's infamous slum clearances of the 1960s has hit the market for sale.
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Sandwiched between two much bigger commercial buildings, 39 Spring Street is close to Victoria Park and just metres from the site of the New World supermarket that was destroyed by fire last year.
The villa is no longer a residence, having been kitted out as an office some time ago, and is being offered for sale with another villa that was relocated to 37 Spring Street in the 1990s.
According to the information memorandum, 37 Spring Street has been tenanted by Flinders Cook (Technical Services) Limited for more than 30 years, while Erin Properties Limited occupies 39 Spring Street as a project office for the adjoining LT McGuinness development at 1 Scotland Street and 44 Ireland Street.
37 and 39 Spring Street are in a mixed-use zone near Victoria Park. It's also close to the site of the New World supermarket that was demolished after it was consumed by fire. Photo / Supplied
Concept plans for a new building at the address. Photo / Supplied
37 and 39 Spring Street are being offered together as a development opportunity by JLL agents Alex Wefers and Jason Armstrong.
The two properties occupy a 490sqm site zoned Business - Mixed Use, allowing buyers to replace the villas with a building up to 18 metres high.
The agents say the properties return a combined rental income of $109,606 a year. The combined RV for both properties is over $3.5 million.
39 Spring Street is also being offered for sale separately with Barfoot & Thompson agents Amit Mehta and George Marshall.
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37 Spring Street was singled out by Auckland Council in 1960 as a prime example of all that was wrong with housing in the suburb. On August 3, 1960, the council sent a photographer to the property to document grim conditions.
Surviving images held by Auckland Libraries show a dilapidated workers' cottage, the backyard, an outside toilet, and a corrugated iron bath structure.
By 1963, an aerial shot of the street showed an empty section at number 37. It is believed to have remained empty for decades.
According to historical records held by Auckland Museum, Freemans Bay was at times home to the city’s morgue, rubbish incinerator, gasworks and abattoir, sending dubious smells wafting through residential areas that housed workers from the wharves and other low-income families.
Some homes shared taps and toilets.
37 Spring Street from when the area was classified as a slum. Auckland Council at the time thought these properties should be cleared for redevelopment. Photo / Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 580-04309
Many homes in Freemans Bay before the suburb's regeneration had outdoor toilets. Photo / Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 580-04308
The council began a slum clearance programme in the 1950s with powers to take and demolish properties compulsorily, replacing decaying cottages with new flats.
The slum clearance programme continued until 1968, after which the council began to focus on the rehabilitation of housing stock. From the 1980s, the area began to attract wealthier Aucklanders who were keen to pick up character homes and renovate them.
39 Spring Street managed to survive the hollowing out of the suburb and was turned into commercial premises over 30 years ago.
39 and 37 Spring Street are not the only properties to give off Up-style vibes in the city.
A dilapidated two-bedroom cottage surrounded by high concrete walls and next to Onehunga's Dress Smart mall was one of OneRoof's most viewed properties last year. The Church Street property was home to Joy McHardie and her family from the 1950s.
McHardie rebuffed offers for over 30 years, living there until 2016. The home sold twice in 2025 and is now leased to an accountancy firm, having been renovated by the new owner.
Still on the market is a villa at 45 Brown Street, in Auckland’s Ponsonby, which is sandwiched between two modern apartment blocks.
The three-bedroom property, which sits on a 334sqm section in the Mixed Business zone, has an RV of over $2m and is a deceased estate.
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