Canterbury ambulance depot sold in auction that struggled to find a pulse

The former ambulance depot at 61 Canterbury Road, Canterbury, will become a storage business.

There were no lights and sirens as a former ambulance depot went under the hammer on Friday, but getting a deal did require the sellers to be patient.

After years helping to save lives across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs it took a while to find a pulse for the 61 Canterbury Road, Canterbury, property’s auction.

Despite fire station aesthetics and front and rear road entries to the building, a slow start forced agents to accept a $1.5m opening bid after calling for a $1.7m start.

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RT Edgar’s Nick Walker said the property attracted bids from three groups, including one looking to run it as a depot for a gardening business, another seeking office space and the buyer who intended to use it for a storage business.

“They will keep it pretty much as is,” Mr Walker said.

While he could not disclose a final figure, he did confirm the bidding started with a $1.5m low offer. It had a $1.7m-$1.87m price guide before the auction.

The facility is quite utilitarian at the moment.

Parking at the rear and drive-through road access attracted a number of buyers.

“They made us work for it, but having said that the bidding was competitive once it got started,” Mr Walker said.

Other prospective buyers did not get a chance to bid, including a cafe operator.

“The range of uses considered for the property was really wide,” Mr Walker said.

“I think people are looking for something that has some rarity factor and some character.”

Ambulance Victoria sold the depot after relocating its operations to a new facility near St George’s Hospital in Kew.

Kitchen facilities were a part of the deal.

The property spans 380sq m in a highly visible location.

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