MUNICIPAL OFFICES TO BE BUILT IN GREYMOUTH

Grey River Argus, 9 April 1948, Page 2

MUNICIPAL OFFICES TO BE BUILT IN GREYMOUTH

Demolishing Old Town Hall Greymouth’s new municipal offices, reolacing those destroyed by fire in July last year, will be erected over and adjoining the Women’s Rest Room at the corner of Tarapuhi and Guinness Streets, and approaches are to be made to the Church of England trustees asking them to give the Council first refusal of their property facing Guinness, Albert and Tarapuhi Streets for a civic centre. The Greymouth Borough Council decided also at a special meeting last evening that the architect (Mr R. S. D. Harman) be asked to prepare plans and estimates for repairing the old library portion of the building. The Council's decision followed the submission of plans and estimates for alternative schemes by 7 its architect, and there followed a discussion m which the respective merits of the town hall site and of the present Women’s Rost Room were considered. Cr A. L. McKay said there had been a suggestion that the offices be built above the rest room. The Mayor, Mr F. F. Boustridge, said that if the town developed, the question arose as to whether such offices would be sufficient. The only question was to' adopt a principle to guide the Council for the future. It was not a question of deciding on future buildings. Cr G. R. Harker moved that the Church of England trustees be written to asking if they were preparer! to sell their property and, if so, in the future, whether they- were prepared to give the Council first refusal. At the suggestion of the Mayor, Cr Harker agreed to incorporate in the motion a statement that the block, if acquired, be fur the purpose of constructing the town hall in conjunction with the civic centre covering the whole block. PREPARED TO VACATE In reply to Cr Stokes, the Mayor said that the church people were quite prepared to vacate the whole block, depending on their opportunities of building on the site they had acquired. The whole question was one of policy, said Mr Boustridge. Cr Stokes: “Do you think that when the ratepayers vote against it you will be dead?” The motion was carried It was further decided to write f he church trustees asking if they were preoared to sell the nropertv with a view to developing the civic centre. This was carried unanimously on the motion of Cr Harker and the Mavor. END OF TOWN HALL? Cr J. Hutchinson said that the adoption of the scheme for the town hall would mean the end of the town hall for all time. Cr Harker said he agreed with Cr Hutchinson. The Mayor said that re-roofing the town hall block would mean that in two or three years the whole staff would have to be tipped out. It was a strong factor in favour of the Women’s Rest Room site. Cr Stokes said he was still of the opinion ho had expressed before. Mr A. L. McKay said that if the public turned down the Council's proposals, the public might decide on a hall only on the present site. The proposal for reconstruction would not provide a hall for the town hall. WOMEN’S REST ROOM Cr Stokes moved and Cr Hutchinson seconded that No. 2 scheme (a second storey on the Women’s Rest Room) be proceeded with. Cr J. Parkinson said the proposal to re-roof the town hall would cost £7OOO, and the permanent structure at the Rest Room would - cost £10,650. The Mayor said he concurred in the expressions of opinions of Councillors. In a short period that would become a total loss. At all times they would have a permanent building by using the Rest Room. It could be used by the Council or let as offices to pay for the' bulk of its upkeep. The scheme provider] an amenity which was a distinct advance. Cr F. A. Sadler said it would not cost £7OOO. but £ll,OOO if the library were included. The Mayor said that the £7OOO included the library. There was no suggestion that the two schemes were the same. The motion involving the construction cl a building over and adjoining the Women’s Rest Room was adopted unanimously. •‘A very happy decision”, commented the Mavor. REPLACING LIBRARY Cr Hutchinson said in regard to the library there were two schemes —to purchase Hallenstein’s on Mawhera Quay, or re-roof the old library. He favoured purchasing the Mawhera Quay building. He moved that inquiries be.made as to the purchase of the building of Hallenstein’s. There was no seconder for the motion. The Engineer (Mr A. J. Fairmaid) said the purchase of the building would result in a cost of £350 a year. If it cost £2OOO for the library, the Council would gain £l4O a year. Cr Harker said he favoured using the old library, which only required a roof. The Engineer said that a cost of £.2500 for the library would mean that the Council would still receive £l4O a year from the other building. Reinoval would also cost money. Cr Harker moved that Mr Harman ’■e asked to' proceed with plans for Ihe reconstruction of the library wing as a single-storey structure with estimates.

Cr McKay seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Cr McKay said that in his opinion the remainder of the town hall should be left as it is for another year. It might be 15 years before they Could do anything. The Mayor said the tower had been badly cracked, and the Council was almost compelled to demolish it. “We have spent enough money tonight'’, commented Cr Harker. “I think we should pull it down and leave it”. The Mayor said that pulling the whole. front of the hall section down would give lighting for the library. Leaving the tower might cause serious trouble. The Mayor said lie had discussed with the Transport Department the question of removing the fence and leaving a parking space round the Town Hall. They agreed that it would bp a good scheme. “Pull the whole fence down”, said Cr Hutchinson. He thought there was a resolution on th? books to do so. "No”, said the Mayor. The Town Clerk. Mr F. H. Denton, said the fence was a gift, to the borough py the Petrie family, and there were complications about it. There was a question as to how far the gift extended, said the Mayor. Cr Hutchinson said he preferred to sep the whole of the rest of the building razed to the ground. Cr McKav said that he felt it should be left to the public to decide about the remainder of the building. After a long discussion, the Council finally, decided to proceed immediately with the demolitioM of the old town hall concert chamber, the clock tower and the former borough offices wing. In addition, the concrete fence and iror railing which have surrounded the building for over 40 years will be removed, and it is probable that a motor parking area will be provided on xne vacant site.