THE YEAR’S BUILDING.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1922, Page 4

THE YEAR’S BUILDING.

PROGRESS OF NEW PLYMOUTH. RESIDENTIAL AREA EXTENDS. New homes being built in all parts of New Plymouth provide evidence of the growth .of the town, and though there has been a lull since the days of the boom, and prices have eased somewhat, the aggregate value of the butfdi :gs erected for the year ended on March 31 was only £824 less than last year’s total. This would be more flian accounted for by the fact that prices in certain cases have decreased. The figures are:— 1921-22 . a £175,529 1920-21 £176,305 The total is made up as follows: New houses 131,200 Alterations business premises 39,000 Repairs, garages, etc., 4,729 Total ’ £175,529 The premises included a new foundry for Wooldridge, Ltd., workshops and offices for Julian and Son, the new Taranaki Club, the pavilion for the New Plymouth Bowling Club, a store for Messrs. Nolan and Cd/, garages for Jellyman and Forbes and the New Zealand Express Co., and a butter factory for the Wanganui Fresh Food and lee Qo., and alterations to the shops of White’s, Ltd., and the Modern Tailors.

There were 165 new houses authorised during the period, and 80 per cent, of these wore dwellings costing from £BO6 to £lOOO, while others were of a more pretentious character. Several of the houses which are in course of erection are really' fine modern residences, and thd expenditure to the owners varies from £l5OO to £2500. There has also been the smaller class of house, buf* generally speaking the year has been one of solid work in the building of dwellings.

The operations of those building houses have spread ou the outskirts of the borough extending the residential area. It can hardly be said that any particular suburb has been favored, for Fitzroy, Vogeltown, Westown have all come under the eye of the man looking for a section, as has also the Moturoa end. Another feature of • domestic building is that existing homes have received a good deal of attention in the way of small improvements and additions, the erection of garages, etc.