03 Magazine: March 01, 2023

“When we saw these
‘apartments to be
built’ – and it was just
architectural drawings
on Trade Me, no photos
– I was like, ‘that would
be the super coolest
place to live’.”
“We need a student bar, somewhere for students to
socialise, and that’s sadly lacking in north Dunedin.
“This asset is in a state that if we ever found the right
building and needed to purchase it, then this could be sold.”
Peter Rawling, of NZPS Property Management, said five of
the six apartments were already rented.
One tenant became a convert to apartment living while
teaching in South Korea and continued to live in inner city
units when she returned to New Zealand. Liesel Mitchell, who
doesn’t drive, said being in the city centre meant she could
walk most places.
That proximity to amenities was a consideration when she
and her partner decided to move back to her home town
from Wellington.
“He likes to have nature and greenery and trees and I like
to be right in the middle of the city, so we were, like, how do
we find something that’s ... not too concrete but also nice and
close to everything?
“When we saw these ‘apartments to be built’ – and it was
just architectural drawings on Trade Me, no photos – I was
like, ‘that would be the super coolest place to live’.”
A quality manager and PhD candidate, she was familiar with
the UBS building from her time as a student at the University
of Otago in the 1990s, Liesel says.
“It was really funny. I put a picture up on Facebook, just
to say, ‘I’ve moved back to Dunedin, this is my new view,
any guesses as to where I am?’ And one of my friends came
back saying, ‘Are you at the University Book Shop? Are you
upstairs? Are you in the poetry section?’ It is quite strange
when I can visualise how it was [before], but it’s lovely.”
Their apartment had a balcony overlooking the museum
reserve, but was quiet and private, with the high ceilings and
trusses creating a warehouse feel.
An increasing number of people wanted to live closer to
the city, some because they didn’t have cars or didn’t want the
costs associated with a bigger house, she says. Apartments
were also an appealing option for younger people and could
help to keep them in Dunedin.
“We’ve got so many wonderful buildings that are part of
Dunedin’s charm ... It would be really lovely if we could retain
that sense of architecture from different eras and ... repurpose
them for different things.”