All hail King Edward

Significant property sells for just $2.9 million

May 03, 2023

I drive by King Edward Court everyday. It is one of Dunedin’s many old brick buildings that just become part of the background.

Well, I wonder if that will change.

King Edward Court, which used to be known as King Edward Technical College, sold for $2.9 million in October last year.

That sale killed a fundraising endeavour to purchase the property by potentially affected small businesses inside.

I was fascinated to read that that in July 2022, the property had a rating evaluation of $6.44 million.

I know the real estate market has been dipping, but wow!

Property details show the 30,000 square metre Category One-listed historic building, which opened in 1914, was bought by 291 Limited.

Company records show the sole director and shareholder was Nicholas Beach, of Dunedin.

Beach flies under the radar when compared with other high profile names in Dunedin, but appears to be major player.

He featured in a 2021 Stuff story, about his company Quietly which began in Dunedin:

“Historically selling a property quietly or off-market has been a fairly cumbersome process.’’
“The beauty of this is that you end up with a highly engaged audience of genuine buyers, and nobody else. No tyre kickers, no nosey neighbours or ex-partners.”

It doesn’t look like that start-up is still in operation, but records showed he is heavily involved in property across the city.

I contacted Beach to find out his plans. I got this reply:

“Thanks for getting in touch but no I'm not interested in discussing King Edward.”

Sometimes you can read a lot into a reply, and surely if the building and the predominantly artistic ventures it houses were to remain long-term, you would possibly say that.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it.

But I will be keeping an eye on this property to see what happens, and if you hear anything please let me know.

I never knew that the Dunedin Art School was incorporated into the college, with alumni including Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere and Toss Woollaston.

As an aside, I was once told McCahon used to paint in our house, but despite my desperate attempts to find anything with his signature, I found nothing.

But I did learn this, courtesy of Heritage NZ, that the building was the “largest secondary school in New Zealand for over twenty years, it was also one of the first technical schools.”

I talked to a few of the people inside the building, who are treating the change in ownership (it used to be owned by an American couple) as just a continuation until they hear something different.

A previous manager declined to comment when asked about the sale.

One obvious change that has been noted is that the fence has finally been repaired.

I remember covering a crash involving a sucker truck and a couple of vehicles back in 2018. Five years ago!

But the fence has only been repaired in recent months. So that is a welcome change.

Because this is what it looked like for almost five years… minus the car, the police tape and the emergency services staff:

This is what it looked like today:

There has been rumours for a few years that the site would be ideal for a hotel, or possibly apartments.

If you look at the make-up of the building it has some 75 traditional classroom-sized rooms, and large hallways.

The large amount of carparking behind the building on Tennyson St is owned by the Ministry of Education, while the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin owns another large neighbouring section.

One to watch, but at the price it was sold for, there is certainly room for development.

It also got me looking at other places for sale, and I noted that Stafford Gables is listed.

That comes week after I wrote a story about that accommodation provider charging $600-a-night at the time of the Red Hot Chili Pepper concert:

“What they found horrified the Invercargill family: damp sheets, pubic hair in a ball pressed into a wall, broken beds, a bathroom heater hanging by a wire and then the final insult: poo in the corner.”

In 2012 the OtagoDailyTimes reported that the YHA had closed the backpackers and put it up for sale:

Stafford Gables, a 110-year-old, 22-bedroom villa in Stafford St, was placed on the market last week, with offers invited by September 28. The property has a rateable value of $550,000.

Fast-forward 11 years, and 25-room Stafford Gables is for sale again, listed under the banner ‘Potential Plus’.

Indeed.

The property is up for negotiation.

I went for a quick walk up George St to check out the redevelopment. Check these pictures out:

This area is what is known as the ‘Knox Block’:

Further along, heading south, and the big changes include the removal of trees.

This is the area known as ‘Edinburgh Way’.

Bye tree.

Bugger untangling those fairy lights.

But never fear, as part of the upgrade the council is creating a green network of trees and plants as a replacement.

It certainly makes the streets some much wider and lighter.

Looking good.

If you know where the below photo was taken. Please mention it in the comments.

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This week I enjoyed listening to Newsable, featuring former RNZ host Emile Donovan, who featured a story from Critic about road cone theft.

Listen to it here.

I didn’t see anyone dressed as road cones when I covered Hyde St on Saturday.

You can read my curmudgeon take on it here.

After that was published I got a few questions about Borg, a popular drink involving electrolyte and some hard liquor (read: vodka, invariably cheap vodka) poured into a milk container.

But if you want to know more I recommend going direct to the source: TikTok.

Check this out:

@parisjpinkney My borg name is undefeated 😭😜 #fyp #borg #borgparty #partnerwithparis #drunkaf #funny #fun #drinking #safedrinking

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It is shaping up to be a big few weeks for the university, starting with stop work action on Tuesday afternoon. You can read more about that here.

Now the Otago University Students’ Association has joined them, and from 10:30am on Tuesday they will march from the University Clocktower to MP David Clark’s office.

In other events, on Saturday, between 2pm-4pm, there is a panel discussion on ending inequality in a climate and cost of living crisis. Speakers include: Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March, Dr Judith Sligo from Child Poverty Action Group, Dr Martin Hohmann-Marriot from Te Utu Tika Hei Oranga I Aotearoa/Basic Income NZ, and Quintin Jane, President of Otago University Students’ Association.

More details are here.

Meanwhile, if you love the Royals (I don’t), you could always attend a council tree planting event to mark the coronation of His Majesty Charles III, King of New Zealand on Saturday 6 May 2023 at 11:00am.

This event will be held at the Dunedin Botanic Garden, approx. 30m inside the Gardens Corner entrance (corner of North Road and Opoho Road).

More details here.

And now it is time for the Tweet of the Week.

Check this sunrise picture out.

Meanwhile, here is my own picture from this morning. No filter. Looks like a scene from Ghostbusters.