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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4589, 4 December 1875, Page 2

The subscribers of the "Wellington Athenaeum and Mechanics’ Institute will shortly be called together to discuss the advisability of borrowing a large Bum of money for the purpose of erecting a new building on the present site. It will be in the recollection of our readers that the General Assembly last session passed an Act incorporating the members of the Athenaeum into an association, and vested the reserve on which the present building stands in the association. For the information of the Assembly the general committee Of the Athenaeum submitted to them plans of the building they proposed erecting, providing they were allowed to exercise the borrowing powers given in the Act submitted. As we have said, the Act was passed, and at a meeting of the general committee, held last night, it was decided that, providing the money could be borrowed, and a certain amount raised by donations, it was desirable to ask the subscribers to proceed with the erection of the building without further delay. The plans submitted to the Assembly were prepared by Mr. Thomas Turnbull, architect, of Temple Chambers, and with some slight modifications have been approved by the committee. Wo shall take an early opportunity of describing them in detail ; it will, however, be sufficient to state now that they provide for shops and lecture hall on the ground floor, reading rooms, library, &c., on the second floor, and spare rooms and office accommodation on the third floor. The estimated cost is about £6OOO, and from Mr. Turnbull's well-known ability and long experience we have no doubt that the building now designed by him will bo a credit to i the Empire City, and a great boon to its inhabitants.