Ask Matt: Who owns the parking building?

Q: Does the district council own that parking building on Hinemoa St?

If they do, why don't they offer the ground floor and the first parking floor to some large chain store at a reasonably affordable rent to get that building back in use?

It must be costing a fortune sitting empty. I was thinking K-Mart, with free customer parking.

How much does the council make out of the said parking building set-up anyway and could they do without it for the good of the central business district?

A: The downtown car parking building is owned by five separate businesses, and the council is one of these.

However, the council is not the owner of the ground floor, including the area which Van Dykes furniture store previously occupied. That area is owned by an Auckland-based business.

The council owns the upper levels, which are used for public-parking purposes and these operate on a cost-neutral basis _ parking fees cover the running cost of the council-owned part of the building.

Long-term parking arrangements with 24-hour access are available at extremely reasonable rates on these levels.

The parking spots are particularly suitable for the staff of businesses in the CBD, or city residents. Anyone interested can contact the council on (07) 348 4199.