A new chapter for iconic bookshop

A Gisborne city centre building is up for sale, with its well-read tenant on the move to new premises.

Muirs Bookshop co-owner Kim Pittar said the bookshop would continue at a new location.

“We are taking this opportunity of this building going up for sale to move to premises that are more suited to our needs.

“The new premises will be smaller, but absolutely full of all the good books, as per usual.

“We will be a block closer to the busier shopping area which will be better for customers and ourselves.

“The only part of the bookshop that we are not continuing with is the second-hand section.

“We will still have magazines, newspapers and cards, along with the best fiction, non-fiction and children’s books we can find.

“We’ve kept all those café chairs and will host any author events we can get to Gisborne.”

The north-facing freehold property will be sold by tender, closing Wednesday, March 6, through Bayleys Gisborne commercial salesperson Mike Florance.

“The two-level character masonry building dates back to the early-1900s and has had many incarnations since starting out as Burton and Griffiths ironmongers and hardware store,” Mr Florance said.

“Newspaper advertisements in 1907 stated that the store inventory included harvesting and carpenters’ tools, bush-felling tools and builders’ requisites, and a furnishing department.”

It is listed as a heritage building in the Gisborne District Council’s district plan, but not on the New Zealand Historic Places Trust register.

“The building was strengthened in 2013 and is at 100 percent of current new building standard code.”

As a proven commercial location, Mr Florance said a new owner could seek a replacement retail or office tenant for the ground floor premises and potentially look to convert the upper level to a “lock-and-leave” city apartment.

“I’ve been fielding good inquiry on the property from a range of prospective local buyers keen to reinvest in their city and see it flourish.

“The Gisborne District Council is also keen to see more residential accommodation within the CBD to create a vibrant and compact 24-hour city and encourages inner city apartment living to optimise vacant second floors.”

The property has off-street parking and rear access via a right of way. To develop the upper floors as an apartment, he suggested the retail tenancy be consolidated towards the Gladstone Road frontage to form dedicated private access to the upper level.

“This commercial investment property provides huge scope for a new owner to add value and optimise the good bones that the building boasts.

“It’s a piece of Gisborne’s early trading history and makes a strong contribution to the streetscape in this stretch of the main street.”