STATE & COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1886, 22 October 1913, Page 8

STATE & COUNCIL.

MID-CITY STREET CHANGES. TENTATIVELY AGREED UPON. GOVERNMENT'S BUILDING PROGRAMME. For some time past negotiations havo been in progress between the Government and tlio' City Council in respect to an important exchange of land in mid-city which will embody an alteration in a 1? least two of the streets in tho vicyiity of the Government Buildings. It will he remembered that last week tho City Council agreed to tho transfer of the lease of Messrs. John Fuller and Co.'s leasehold land (city freehold) known as the Theatre Royal block, whereon at a later date the Government propose to erect a new building to serve as a central police station. Incidentally that proposal is part of an infinitely moro pretentious scheme affecting State buildings in that vicinity, which, it is stated, will form the matter of a Bill to be brought beforo Parliament during the present session, Tho scheme, all details of which havo boon practically agreed to by bath parties, involves the closing up of Wiiitniore Street—the thoroughfare between, the Lambton Quay Police Station audi tlio Government Buildings—as far back as the depth of the Law Courts block. The advantages of this movement to tho Government aro obvious. Whitmore Street is 80 feet in width, and tho closing up of tho street will give tho Crown that much additional frontage to Lambton Quay, providing an amplo area for tho proposed new Law Courts to bo erected when tho Treasury can afford the funds. At present the Supremo Court _ buildings aro considered to bo most inadequate for tho great amount of work'that has to bo transacted thoro all the year round. Tho entranec—now on a back street—is dingy and uninviting and the general aspect of the building _ lacks that dignity generally embodied in tho Law Courts of other countries. As a quid pro quo the Government propose to codo to tho city a large triangular block of land at tho rear of the Government Buildings, which will enable the civic authorises to continue Stout Street in a straight lino right through to Featherston Street, debouching oii to that thoroughfare nearer the north than the south end of tho Government Building? block, and so making a clear arterial thoroughfare from the near vicinity of _ the new Central Railway Station, which is to be erected in Bunny Street (which arrangement is a valuable one in view of the proposed extension of the tramway system to meet 1 tho requirements of tho public using tho now station). A glance at a plan of the city will show at once the value of tho extension of Stout Street through tho Governnieilt Buildings block, in view of tho big work ponding ill that ■ quarter. ; The agreement also concerns the triangular section of land whpreon tho telephone exchange stands at present. Following upon the alterations to tho streets, the piece of land on which tho 1 telephone exchange stands becomes ail "island" block. Ultimately it will bo ' cedcd to tho city, and be. retained as : a "lung" for that part of tho city. But that cannot bo achieved until tiio Gov- | eminent proceeds with tho erection of 1 a new telophono exchange which will in a measure become necessary with the coming of tho automatic system. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) states that the matter of the "island" block ; is tho only ono on which the council lias not effected an agreement with tho Government. He (Mr. Luke) desires that the Government should undertake to relinquish tho block within fivo years from tho date of the Empowering Bill, but tho Government wish for a longer term, as it may not bo in a position to do all it desires to do in the time specified by tho council. This little differ--1 ence is not of. much moment in the consideration of the larger 6chcme of re-planning tlio streets, but on tho question that it is most desirable tliat the city should acquire the'block ultimately there is no difference of opinion, and in view of the enhanced importance of Featherston and StoutStreets to be given by the c-rection of tho new Central Railway Station, it is advisable that this new entrance to the City should ho made as attractive as possible, and an "island" block oasis at the junction of the streets affected would havo a special value. From tho foregoing it will be gathered that the Govornmont has a building programme of somo magnitude before it as far as Wellington is concerned. It involves, sooner or later, tho erection of a Central Railway Station Hong since planned), new Law Courts, Telephone Exchange, and Central Police Station, 3 all of which aro said to be more or less t nocessary.