While the carpet is worn thin and the lawn is lush with rampant weeds, it does have a bar, a blooming magnolia tree, and that quiet, ordered English setting which is so calming with the help of a gin and tonic and a cucumber sandwich on a sunny afternoon.
The former Kaituna-RSA Bowling Club grounds have been offered for lease by the Dunedin City Council, following the closure of the 118-year-old club last year.
The club closed after its 18 remaining members decided they were no longer able to fill key positions on the executive.
Kaituna-RSA had the second largest clubrooms, behind Taieri, of any clubs in the Bowls Dunedin region, and is valued at $342,000.
The property, surrounded on one side by a 3m-4m high macrocarpa hedge, and in need of some love and care after one year untenanted, is on council land, and under the lease agreement it became the property of the council.
Yesterday, the sun beat down on a green now liberally scattered with clover and other weeds, and the "Ladies Honour Board" sat propped against a wall inside the club rooms.
Sadly, a site that would be heaven to live on is only available for recreational purposes.
Council community and recreation policy team leader Lisa Wheeler said yesterday 10 information packs had been sent out to interested potential lessees, and some people had had a look through the grounds, but there were yet to be any registrations of interest.
The land was on a recreation reserve, under the Reserves Act, so any future use had to fall within that classification.
The classification of recreation extended to take in a wide variety of uses, from embroidery to "full-on sports", but commercial activity was restricted and any lessee would probably be a sports club or community group.
Asked what sort of people had shown interest, Mrs Wheeler said: "There's a wide range. All have a community focus to them. Anything is possible as long as someone puts in a good business plan."
The rent of the maximum 14-year lease was negotiable, and depended in issues including how much of the land was leased.
Mrs Wheeler said there had been some "pretty strong interest".
She said she was not planning to get nervous unless there were no firm proposals by the end of next week.
Registrations close on October 31.
