Around the Traps

By Christine Nikiel

Friday 21st June 2002

Some things never change

Metropolis junk bond holders may be interested to note Andrew Krukziener's 1997 NBR Rich List entry. It says, "One of property developer Andrew Krukziener's few faults is, according to his girlfriend Suzie Paine, compulsive lateness." That was Mr Krukziener's first appearance on the Rich List. He was 31, estimated at a minimum $12 million, and had just bought No 1 Queen St for $40 million.

Italians look to Mecca

While the Italian America's Cup favourite, Team Prada, has set itself up in offices on Auckland's Viaduct, the less-famous Mascalzone Latino (Little Rascal) has leased space further back from the water. The Little Rascals will set up headquarters in office space above Mecca cafe and restaurant in the Chancery. Barfoot agent Bill Ludbrook said the 100 or so team members have taken about 550sq m for a year. The team is due to arrive in July and will live next door in the Ascott Metropolis.

Big Blue 'downsizes' into Majestic

After taking up five floors of the IBM centre, IBM's Wellington-based head office plans to move into a somewhat smaller quarters. Big Blue has taken just two floors (about 2000sq m) of Kiwi Income Property Trust's Majestic Centre in Willis Street. IBM said it had been looking for a smaller space since some of its business units split to its Petone site - and because its lease was ready to expire. Other tenants include Ernst & Young, Vodafone, Logical Networks, Opus, the Japanese Embassy and newspaper publisher INL.

JLL takes on brewers & bank

Jones Lang LaSalle has picked up two management contracts for office blocks in Auckland. One is for New Zealand Breweries' corporate office at 109-111 Carlton Gore Rd, Newmarket, the other is 203 Queen St, tenanted by the ANZ Bank on the lower floors, with the upper floors awaiting refurbishment before leasing. The new contracts cover nearly 13000sq m, with the brewery's headquarters totalling 4731sq m and the Queen St building just over 8000sq m.

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