FOUR-YEAR TERM

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 103, 26 January 1943, Page 4

FOUR-YEAR TERM

Government Tenure Of Old Library

The Wellington City Council, at its special meeting yesterday, agreed to a scheme whereby the Government will take over an.d. reconstitute the old library building at the intersection of Mercer aud Wakefield Streets. The Government will bear the whole cost of the repairs necessary to make the first two stories of the building safe for occupation, estimated at £6OOO, and will have the use of the building rent free for the four-year term of tenure agreed to by the council. The proposal originally submitted to the council provided for a term of five years, but councillors expressed the opinion that the demolition of the building in connexion with the building of the Civic Centre, might be needed before the end of that time. It was stated by the mayor that it was the intention to use the building at first to house'the Housing Department, but that the Health Department offices, at present in the old education board building next door in Mercer Street, would be transferred there. This was to the good, he said, as the first stage of the Civic Centre scheme called for the demolition of the old education building. The removal of the old library building was not necessary till the second stage was reached. In the meantime the old libra rv building would mask the straight wall of the first stage of the construction. It ■was decided to amend the proposal to the four-year term;