CITY-MAKING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 152, 21 March 1908, Page 6

CITY-MAKING.

WIDENING OF MANNERS STREET LINED WITH "HOT FIRE RISKS." A DIVERSION TO DIXON STREET feasible. I, notico hero a]] the elements that go to the making of a great city," said a recent visitor to Wellington. There is nothing strikingly new in the observation; as a matter of fact tlio growth of Wellington is so obvious to everyone—even to residents that tho remark quoted is almost a trite one. Maybe that such comment, monotonously reiterated, is ; deadening us to a proper appreciation of our prospective status in tho list of Australasian cities, but that more could be done to anticipate the future ■ in. correcting the errors of a primitive past in regard to-street improvement, is not an extremely difficult hint to grasp. Something has been done, it is true, in the inauguration of tho widening of Willis Street, but that process is a painfully slow oilo, that might easily be accelerated to a conclusion. Willis' Street is widened from King's Chambers to the Berlin Piano Company's premises. There it stops, though tho next block of brick shops was purchased by the City Council from tho Jacob Joseph Estato nearer the middle than the end of last year. Travelling southward the city-owned block is flanked by Chew's Lano on the other side of which is the magnificent New Hotel Windsor, built back to the new building level, ■ but though that building has over 100 ft. frontage to. Willis Street, it would be dangerous to widen the street until tho Council sots its house in order by cutting a slico off tho' front of its own block in Willis Street. Southward of tho Hotel Windsor is Messrs. J. Duthie and Company's brick block, which could doubtloss be dealt with satisfactorily to tho firm and city by negotiation. Next door is Morrah's building, set back to tho'new level (which setting back is of no material ■ good to anyone until the wholo scheme is completed). From that point to Mercer Stroet

are two-storied brick shops, that should bo set, back with tho least possible dolay. From Mercer Street, running ,up to Manners Street, is : tho Heath. Estate, now held by local residfents, and comprising a lino of shop promises the greater- number of which aro a positive disgrace to tho city. With such properties the matter of widening should bo merely a question of compensation ■ for land acquired., So much for Willis Street. The Manners Street Scheme. . If Willis Street is w'orth .widening, why not Manners Street? It was imagined at one time that with tho formation of Victoria Streot, which runs parallel to Willis Street and Manners Street, that the retail businoss would be diverted from tho latter streets to the new and wider thoroughfare, but tho wholesale peoplo got first grip, and any hopo of Victoria Street becoming "retail" has long since been swept away. It was only after this hope had been lost that 'the idea of widening Willis Street was hit upon—some five or six years ago. Manners Street was not given any serious consideration,, why it is hard to realise, for it cortainly is an important, section of the main business artery of the city, and its traffic is as heavy as that of any other city thoroughfare. Mauners Strect_ is short of 50ft. wido —to be correct it is 49ft. 6in.

With an 8-ft. footpath on each side and, say, another 3ft."- 6in. ' for channels, this leaves an . actual roadway of 30ft., whi6h narrow confine lias to. accommodate a doublo line of tramway, and find room for all vehicular traffic. Tho task is not an' easy ono. to-day, as any driver 1 engaged in tho city can bear witness'. What will be the position in another twenty years? Ramshackle Buildings. ' Manners Streot —from, the Duko of Edinburgh Hotel to tho To Aro branch of tho •Bank of Now —is., 900 ft- in length. From tho brick-built Duko of Edinburgh-to tho brick-built, New Zealauder Hotel—a dis-. tanco of 560 ft. out of tho 900 ft. —there-is not a brick building. They are all of wood. Old and old-fashioned, shabby, and ev£n •" ramshackle " in their dotago, they lino oho of our principal thoroughfares, a standing rebuke to Wellington's prido in herself, and offering the finest opportunity for a blazo. 'Tho existence of such a continuous row of ancient wooden structures invites a betterment scheme that would include the widening of this shabbly thoroughfare. , ..

Eastward from tho New Zealander Hotel to tho Bank corner is a-line .of fairly, modern and presentable brick premises, which includes the Victoria Buildings, tho Opera House, and th® Bank. Though by far the best, if most expensive, scheme would be'to carry tho widening of Manners Street (by 10ft; or 15ft.) right .through to Cuba Street, yet there is an alternative scheme suggested that might obviate the necessity of in-' curring the heavy expenso of chopping cif a front section of a row of brick buildings, and erecting now fronts thereto (as well as compensating for tho land). If a plan of tho locality is.glanced at, it will be seen that Manners Street has a bend, through its having been forced to tako the line of tho seabeach in pre-reclomatidn days. The ' bond occurs the junction of Herbert : Street with Manners Street, about half-way along the latter thoroughfare, and'just beforo tho brick/buildings on its northern sido begin. Manners Street, even if widened, will be hampered with traffic-in the near future, so it is suggested that it should be broadened on : its " wooden sido " as far as Fielder's storo,- and that at that point an attempt should bo made'to divert soino of tho traffic by widening Herbert Street—at present not a very palatable neighbourhood—and so train the traffic into a greater use of Dixon Street. With the prospect of greatly increased values, the owners of Herbert Street properties might ■bo only'too delighted to treat reasonably with tho Council/ and tho prospect of seeing that dingy lane lined with modern shop premises is certainly a very pleasant,' and not at all an extravagant, one. Look Aheatll' , v . ' There is a well-defined movement throughout Australasia in tho direction of city improvement. The authorities ill Sydney have actually decided to widen George and Oxford Streets at enormous ..cost. The alteration suggested above, or somo parallel scheme, will have to bo carried out one day in Wellington. Why not move in tho matter while more than half the length to be widened is occupied by buildings that have served their purpose in thoir day, but whose fate' must bo determined in the very near future?