PROPOSED NEW COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2542, 13 February 1923, Page 3

PROPOSED NEW COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

ON MODIFIED PLAN,

PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS TO BE PREPARED. Some years ago the Council Chambers, public reading room and library, together with caretaker’s living rooms,- committee and Mayor’s rooms, etc., were destroyed by fire. Tim building was a commodious, well-appointed and modern structure. Its destruction was a serious public loss. The insurance on the building, which has been placed at fixed deposit amounts to about £1,250, whereas a new building in brick to replace tha one destroyed, would cost anything, from £2,600 to £3,000. The question of reconstruction has been deferred on account of other schemes. In the meantime the Council’s work has been carried on in an iron shed, and a room at the Town Hall has been used as a library and the public lias been deprived of a reading room. The insurance, of course, comprehends a library and reading room, which must be considered with the new scheme. At last night’s Council meeting, the Mayor said that he had been ambitious about the reconstruction of the Council Chambers. He had had an idea of a large building but had since modified that opinion and thought it would be better to have a smaller one and cut out the offices that had been arranged to put in in the plans as other bodies which might be looked to as tenants now had suitable offices. They now had a reconstruction fund of £1,235 at fixed deposit which should amount to £1,280 at the end of May. The Fire Brigade Station was being erected for £875 and was 50ft, by 30ft. A new Council Chambers could be made about the same size for somewhat about the same price and that would leave £IBO odd for furnishings. He thought it would be a good idea to drop the Library rate this year. Cr. Smith agreed with the Mayor but said they did not want to be mean with the building. The structure should be worthy of the town as Foxton has now entered on a “march of progress.” The Mayor moved and Cr Bryant seconded that a Municipal Chamber erection committee be set up consisting of Crs. Smith, Bryant, Ross and the Mayor to engage an architect to draw plans and prepare specifications for new Council Chambers in brick or reinforced concrete, at an estimated.completed cost not exceeding £l,lOO and to report to the Council at next meeting.

The motion was carried, Cr. Coley remarking that he hoped the committed would®work more harmoniously than what sonic of them did on the fire station.