BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2220, 18 June 1908, Page 2

BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.

A BUSY WINTER

“This is going to be- a busy winter in tho building trade,” said a local architect to a “Times” 'reporter yesterday, “and though there is a lot of talk about depression I can safely say there is no indication of any slackness. Why! I know one contractor alone who has £20,000 worth of work in hand, and all the others urn fairly busy, and would be much busier if they could only obtain material and skilled workmen. It is so difficult to get bricks here, and timber is: so hard to buy that many jobs are far behind time through no fault of tho contractors. Of course, a fair supply of labor can be got in summer; but good workmen usually prefer the larger towns in the w-inter, because they can find inside work, such as door and window sash making and so get full time while they would be Mike!*- to lose a fair amount of time on building jobs in a.-lace like Gisborne. The winter is, of course, tlie slack season in most places, but work is going to be fairly plentiful here, and bricklayers and carpenters will be ill good demand.” Following up these remarks, the reporter m ine inquiries from a, number of architects and builders as to the condition of tho trade, and the general opinion was that tlie winter ■will not (be slack as far as work is concerned, as a number of big buildings are at present in . hand, and bouse building is proceeding at a rapid pace all over tlie Borough. Ain-. oj){4 tlie larger buildings are tho new drill hall -in Fitzlierbort street, the new 'Borough offices, now close to completion, on 'Read’s Quay i the new offices for the* Cook County Council in Childers road, and the new premises for Messrs Hallenstein Brothers in Gladstone road (to. cost about £6000) • while the foundations are beiw laid for new offices to cost about £4500 for tho Union Steam Ship Company, in Childers road, opposite the new Borough offices; and for Messrs Nathan, and Co.’s new warehouse (to cost about £0000) in Customhouse street, next to the Poverty Bay Club. This building is to be of two storeys, and will bo fitted with a hydraulic lift. Messrs Teat and' Friar are also having plans prepired for a handsome buikiing to- face Gladstone road, oil the block of land above their present premises, on which a house is now standing; while sundry smaller buildings are bein'- erected in various side streets. The handsome new building erected by Messrs Williams and Slierratt in Peel street, has just been completed, and greatly adds to the appearance of the- block. This building lias two large shops in front and a large warehouse in. tlie rear, ■while the second storey is handsomely fitted up as offices. The architecture is ill the Renaissance style, with ornamental cement facings, the base being finished, off in tiles. In the outlying districts a good deal of building is also ill progress, and goes to show that there is a brisk demand for new houses and new premises all over the Borough.