Mt Albert village shops

Quake code reaches Mt Albert

Mt Albert’s commercial landlords are about to get news they could do without – the demand to spend big money to reduce the risk of earthquake damage in a shake that may never come. Auckland is not on a fault line and the risk of a serious earthquake here is low, but around 40 commercial…

House price-to-CV gaps open

What do you read into new capital values? People who have been around the real estate industry for a few years know that “sight unseen” council valuations – imposed every three years to help assess rates levied on individual property owners – can have their imperfections.

Mt Albert's prang alley

Last chance to have your say

If you haven’t already done so, you have just two days to give your feedback on Auckland Transport’s plan to improve the Asquith Ave/New North Rd intersection. Traffic researchers using accident data collated over the years have identified the intersection as one of Auckland’s nastiest and AT engineers revealed a plan to make it safer…

Unitec land at Mt Albert

Unitec opens development talks

The plan to build hundreds of new houses on the Unitec land has taken a major step forward with the news that the project leaders are talking to potential developers. Two years after the Unitary Plan commissioners created the Wairaka Precinct — allowing the creation of perhaps 3000 apartments and terraced homes — Unitec now…

Mt Albert village

Verandah at risk of collapsing

A verandah at a Mt Albert village restaurant was so riddled with rot that it was in danger of collapsing. The verandah above the footpath outside Zheng Kee Restaurant was supported by just two stays running from the building, but their value was limited because the timber framing was so rotten. Auckland Council told the…

Jon Wild, manager of Mt Albert Market and the Friday foodtrucks

Q and A: spotlight on Jon Wild

Jon Wild is the man behind the Mt Albert Saturday market and the Friday food trucks. Without him they wouldn’t be there. He’s 39, married with three “nippers” and comes from the UK – drawn here by his Kiwi wife. Jon started the market four years ago when he spotted the “for lease” sign and…

Mt Albert's Baldwin station

Auto gates to guard pedestrians

All Mt Albert rail crossings will soon be made safer for pedestrians. Automatic gates, which close as soon as the alarm bells indicate a train is moments away, will be installed at Asquith Ave, Rossgrove Tce, Lloyd Ave and Woodward Rd. The new devices are already in place at Baldwin station (as pictured) and at…

The Asquith Ave park

Chainsaws to end local ‘park’

The chainsaws finally start buzzing at Housing NZ’s Asquith Ave site on Wednesday, ending the short life of the land as an unofficial neighbourhood park. Build Partners, the project contractors, will today place a security fence around the front boundaries of the block – outside the rock walls which will largely be a casualty of…