The historic Blackheath Mews in Christchurch, some of which date back to 1877, are being sold with the option to buy all the buildings collectively or one or more of the five individual titles separately.
Located on the CBD fringe, on the corner of Durham and Wordsworth Streets, Blackheath is for sale by deadline private treaty closing 28 May and is being marketed by Courtney Doig and Marius Ogg of Colliers Christchurch.
The original six terraces were built between 1877 and 1898 by bricklayer Frank Hitchings and his son, after the family emigrated from Blackheath in London to New Zealand in 1869. Hitchings worked as a bricklayer and chimney sweep until he saved enough money to buy the land.
As his family grew to eight children, he built a larger house next door to the first and eventually ended up with 10 terraces for his family, which he called Blackheath Place. They were owned by the family until 1983.
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In 1984, the original six houses were converted to office suites and the other four houses were demolished and a replica terrace was built. Another block was added on adjoining land in the late 1980s to early 1990s to complete the complex.
The original block is heritage listed and was strengthened in 2022 by the current owner.
“Reminiscent of Victorian Britain, Blackheath is an extremely special property and one that will unlikely be replicated in our local Christchurch market,” Doig says.
“For the astute investor, this is an opportunity to buy a piece of history with a sound income, upside rent potential, a spread of risk over 24 tenancies – the majority of which are occupied – and flexibility with five individual titles that can be separately sold.”
Doig, Director of Investment Sales at Colliers Christchurch, says the current owners purchased the property in 2018 but have decided to sell as one partner is relocating to Queenstown and the other is based in the North Island, making it difficult to give the property the attention it deserves.
Blackheath Mews occupies a high-profile, freehold corner site that totals 3,295sq m and has dual access and 59 car parks.
Positioned with almost 60m of frontage to the busy Durham Street South and just moments from the CBD, the prime freehold property is in the tightly held area of Sydenham.
“Sydenham is undergoing rapid gentrification as businesses that were typically central city-based struggle to find suitable space in the CBD and are sprawling into this well-serviced and easily accessed location,” Ogg says.
“Durham Street is a main arterial through the central city from Bealey Avenue in the north to Brougham Street in the south and carries very high traffic flows. Retail and trade-retail development through the area is common, as are established precincts such as the boutique retail offering of The Colombo to the south-east.”
Ogg, Investment Sales Broker at Colliers Christchurch, says the new Mitre10 Mega development nearby on the corner of Brougham and Orbell Streets is just one example of large-scale projects taking place.
“Home to a wide range of national and international businesses, the area is very tightly held and currently has one of the lowest vacancy rates of all industrial areas in Christchurch.”
- Supplied by Colliers
