Empty police station should become inner-city high school, advocate says

An urban design advocate has suggested that a derelict police station in Auckland's city centre could be transformed into a much-needed high school. The former Vincent Street police station, measuring 4580 square metres, has been vacant since 2019, and its dilapidated state reflects the city's economic downturn. Since being put on the market by Crown and real estate agency Bayleys in 2024, the building has been difficult to sell, having cost the Crown over $230,000 annually in rates since the police vacated it.

Patrick Reynolds, director of advocacy group Greater Auckland, believes the city centre is lacking a high school as more families move into apartments. He pointed out that while there are numerous schools in areas like Hobson Street and Nelson Street, they are all located on the other side of Auckland's complex motorway network, making them difficult to reach for residents living in the city centre.

Reynolds argued that the shortage of schools in the city centre is a glaring deficiency, particularly for families who have no other option but to commute long distances to reach nearby schools.

Reynolds ran for council in last year's election under the City Vision party but lost to incumbent Mike Lee, who expressed skepticism about the need for a school in the city centre. Lee believed the police station should continue its original purpose as a police station for central Auckland. However, Reynolds persisted in his advocacy for the property's conversion into a school, citing the city's growing population and the need for more educational facilities.

The City Centre Residents Group's Antony Phillips agreed that there is a need for more housing options in the city centre, but acknowledged that many families still prefer living in houses with gardens. Nevertheless, Phillips pointed out that the tradition of raising families in apartments is prevalent in major cities like Paris, London, and New York.

He emphasized that the city centre residential population, with roughly two to three thousand school-age individuals, currently has no nearby schools, forcing children to travel outside their community for education.

The Ministry of Education's Jason Swann stated that the agency does not currently plan to establish a new urban primary or secondary school in central Auckland, as they have not identified an immediate need. However, they acknowledged expected population growth and urban intensification over the next decade, indicating that their analysis may identify a future need for a new state primary school in the area.