A NEGLECTED AREA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2328, 9 December 1914, Page 5

A NEGLECTED AREA

IN THE CENTRE OF THE CITY

LONG LEASE RUNNING OUT

Among the most neglected and generally frowsy and dilapidated residential'areas in Wellington City are those blocks bounded on the south by Vivian Street and on the north by Lome Street (between Tory Street on the west and Cambridge Terrace on the east). Paint covers a multitude of defects, but there is a very consistent lack of paint in the neighbourhood, and, consequently, rotten, boards, broken gutters and downpipes,, and an air of decay pervade the streets. , ,

The cause of the neglect of this valuable area of mid-city_ property is, easily explained. On inquiries being •made from the secretary of the Wellington College Governors (Mr., C. P. Powles) that gentleman explained that the five, acres in question between Lome Street and Vivian Street : was one of the endowments made to the College in the early 'seventies by the late Sir George Grey, at which time the locality was nothing but idock-grown paddocks, where during heavy rains the '.water took a good : deal of time to drain off owing to the low-lying character of the land thereabouts. - At'that time itwould be remembered, the chief source of drainage in that neighbourhood was tho open.sewer (wood-lined) which used to extend from : the Basin Reserve to the harbour at Clyde Quay , On April lj' 1874, the College Governors leased the whole five acres (Town Aores 270 and 278 ' between Vivian Street.and College Street, 271 and 279 o! \i *££, slde of College Street, and 272 being the western half of the south side of Lome Street) to the Wet lmgton, Land and Building Company tor, a period of 21 years at £126 per annum, with the right of renewal for another 21 years at an increase of 50 Pe Vf^ri^o the - rental (making the rental £187 10s. per annum). Wi the,- land was secured,- by the College Governors there was no College Street, j8? ■of Town Acres 271. 279 270 • and 278 were taken to provide a' 60ft! infi^L! a depth of ,11 6 fe^ t \,. There '.*** 52 sections 1 in Wh 8 ™ J**& 52 sections. lie. Wellington Land and Building Company, which had taken up the leaTe couhj not have found it Very profitable as in 1888 it. went into liqufdS and It fe waS H k ? a up the-Equit-able Building and Investment Company, which has/teen' tie "landlord" ever since. .;; ■•■■.. 7

By a; glance at the dates." ..it' will be years' lease™psel oa March- 31,: 1916/ when the wholeTf the properties revert to the governors. As.the_ houses; are' without exception built,of. wocxUand-as most of £hem date.back nearly>4o years, the properties will not be a. very consid,erahle asset, the,land -is of great value. iJeetnc trams traverse the block on the; southward side (Vivian Street), where now abut the back fences of the College Street houses,'and there-is a car service traversing Kent Terrace, a chain' away from the eastern frontage of the block. Since College Street wis nrst built ;upon,' settlement has crept up-the side of Mount Victoria' to the lown Belt, and all round it hundreds of thousands of pounds have been spent m building in the vicinity, so that the property will be a windfall for the College Governors.; At the "same time; the policy, of leasing, without compensation tor improvements, has been strikingly proved to' be>neither w inVtho,-interests w the ground landlords' nor-the"city; and the governors, when considering a new.form of lease (which so far they have not done), would do well to consider some form of tenure that will' help to preserve: property, and facilitate ;a gracious aspect. There have been individual inquiries for renewals of leases from residents at present the tenants of the Equitable Building, and Investment Co., but these'have not yet been considered, as it. will devolve on the governors to deal with the block, as a whole or in part, some time next year. ■In the meantime one can account for the; general frowsiness of the neighbourhood by the fact that'the : lease expires in less, than eighteen months; and there is no compensation for improvements.; .-" ..-■■■:,'.