OUR GROWING CITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1852, 11 September 1913, Page 8

OUR GROWING CITY.

BUILDING ACTIVITIES REVIEWED. SOME IMPOSING STRUCTURES AND FUTURE PROSPECTS. Quite a number of imposing structures feature tho list of buildings at presont in course of orcction in Wellington. Amongst theso tho most costly is tho Grand Opera House, which is to cost the Wellington Opera House Company tho sum of £33,000, and is being erected in Manners Street-. The,' Hon. Wm. Pitt, of Melbourne,, lias ..designed a theatre which makes no great outward show, but which should suit tho thoatrical requirements' of the place for many years to come. Tho building has a frontage to Manners Street of b4ft., by a depth of 200 ft., and is surrounded by a wide right-of-way,' upon which many exits open. Tho auditorium, which is to seat 2100 people, is 75ft. wide and 73ft. in depth; anil the handsome schemo of interior decoration will bo enhanced by the four boxes (oil each side), which Teally form tho proscenium of the theatre. - The stage has a proscenium opening'-of: 30ft. 6m., and is. Toft. - .in widtli, 59ft. in depth, with a space of GOl't; between the level of tho stage and tho gridiron: Thero is a capacious scene-dock aud paint-frame, and plenty of dressing-room accommodation. Tho theatre is in a forward state, and should be ready for Opening by tho end of tho year, though tho contract time is not up till Aprd. It is regretted that individual seats are not (so far as has been arranged) to be provided in tho gallery or family circle, of tho new theatre, Sanders Bros, are tho contractors. > Activity in Mannsrs Street. Another very handsome and artistically decorative building that will soon be out of tho builder's hands is the new Bank of New Zealand, at the corner of Manners Street and Lower Cuba Street. In place of the drab old one-story building which "gloomed" on the,corner for so many years, Mr. Wm. Turnbull has, for his clients, reared a structure which catches and pleases tho eye, arid which lias ' an ornamental facade, arresting in its artistic embellishments, but well within tho bounds for good ta_sie. The new bank is being erected at a Cost of ; over £12,(J00, by Messrs.. Campbell and Sourko. ' •

The same builders arc concerned in the erection of ' the new Britannia Theatre (next to tlie Duke of Edinburgh, in Manners ' Street), and in addition to that hostelry 011 the "Willis Street side. Tho theatre, which has liccn quaintly designed by . Messrs. Hoggard and Pr'ouse (who planned tho Empress Theatre), will bo devoted to pictures (making the sixth within a racliitk of a -few hundred yards. The addition to™ the hotel is three st-ories high. The contract price for the whole job was £10,600. ' Another largo building that is raising 'its solid crest, in a hitherto purely residential quarter is tho Salvation Army Officers' Training College, in Palmer Street. This is going to cost the Army 601110 £10,000, and will servo as a lasting monument to the great founder of the Army, Genoral Booth. Tho building was creditably designed by that young lirm' of architects, Messrs. Fearn and Quick," and is being built by Messrs, Hunt and M'Donald.

The ipath'ologisali block, in connection with the Wellington Hospital's extensive grfcup of buildings, is now approaching completion. This makes another £3000 worth of bricks and mortar to swell the buildings of tho Hospital block in Wellington South, 'iiio bl'ccls, which is also to shelter the Government Bacteriologist and his staff, was planned by Messrs. C'richton and IVl'Kay, and. is being built by Messrs. M'Lean and Gray. Coming back to mid-city, there is another great pile of bricks and mortar at the rear of tho new- Grand Opera House —the new motor garage, warehouse, and oiliees of Messrs. Magnus, Sanderson and Co.; which have. been erected by the 'trustees of the late Mr. T. G. Macarthy, and aro now almost ready for occupancy. Mr. J. M. Daweon, who is tho architect, has also designed a three-storied • building for the Macarthy Trustees,, to. be erected 011 that section in Willis Street adjoining Mr. Frank Grady.'a premises. Thero will bo two shops- on -tfte ground tloor, ,and a separate entrance ,10 the floors 'above (which aro to be subdivided to suit tenants); The whole of the ground floor has already been leased by Mr. 11. A. M'Kenzie, fancy goods dealer, sow established on tho opposite side ef .the street. Tho new building, which .will bo of brick, steel, and reinforced ■eoncretei, will have a frontage of 43ft. ,to Willis Street,, by. a.depth.of^92ft. The hew Normal School at Kclburne, lidesigned by Mr. W. Gray Young, will ifee the first building of its class to grace the heights of Keiburno. Tho new school, which is to cost £3300, is being erepted by Mr. W. H. Bennott. Of the business blocks ih hand, there is a substantial printing-house being'built for Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., by Messrs. Campbell and Bourke, and the Colonial Motor Company is adding a three-story brick'building on to' their already commodious premises in Courtcnay.: Place. A new brick shop is also being built in Willis Street fly Muir and Rose for tho trustees of tho Barber Estate. A largo store is also being erected on tho reclaimed land at Waterloo Quay for the- Post and Telegraph Department. .Value of Work in Hand. Although tho present is still regarded as a quiet time, tho foregoing summary of tho buildings in progress of erection (which does not pretend to bo in any way complete) shows that considerably over £100,000 is involved in buildings now in course of construction. The following are the principal business and institutional 'buildings now in course of erection in Wellington, with tho contract price (and in some cases extras) of each :— £ Grand Opera House 33,000 Bank of Now Zealand ............ 12,600 Britannia Theatre and additions to Duke of Edinburgh Hotel 10,600 Salvation Anny Officers' Training College ....' 9,227 Hospital Pathological Block 8,300 Motor Garage (erected by the T. G. Macarthy Estate) ............ B,'loo AVliitcombo and Tombs' printing house 6,700 Staples and Co. (additions) 5,200 New Normal School (at Keiburno) 3,638 Colonial Motor Co. (addition) ... 2,500 £100,165 Of work for the future much is in prospcct. In a fow days the successful tenderer for tho first part of tho Parliamentary Buildings should bo made known. Hero is a work of national interest, ami one which will cost more tihan all tlho buildings in tho above list put together: There is also the erection of the 5 Central Railway Station to be consummated in the near future. Messrs J. J- Niven and Co. will'build 011 their AVakcfield Street frontage shortly, awl extensive building alterations are contemplated by Messrs. \\. and G. Turnbull and Co. and tho Commercial Bank (wluch recently purchased from Mr. Robert' Hannah the building on Larobton Quay formerly m the occupation: of the Post Office Savings Bank. There is also talk of- a mid-city arcado, a new Theatre Royal, and new promises for tho >Savago Club. One of tho lar^e

city drapery houses is also to be extended considerably in the near hi hire, and an adequate Technical School anil Art Gallery are looming possibilities. An Encouraging Roturn. In order to show how. the building market has steadily improved since the beginning of the present financial year, a return lias been obtained from the City Council giving the costj of new buildings and alterations and additions for which permits have been issued. The roturn is published in fortnightly periods, and is as follows: — £ Fortnight ended April 3 5,137 Fortnight ended April 17 3,189 Fortnight ended Hay 1 7,10-i Fortnight enrer May 15 'J,olti Fortnight ended May 29 ...„ Fortnight ended June 12 .' 12,237 Fortnight ended June 26 - 3,731 Fortnight ended July 10 17,156 Fortnight ended July 24_ 13,00)) Fortnight ended August* 7 Fortnight ended August 21 ...... 13,557 Fortnight ended Soptember 3 ... 7.233