Building Notes.

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 2, 1 October 1918, Page 339

Building Notes.

AUCKLAND The foundation atone was laid last month to the chapel for New Orphans Home at Papatoetoe. The new building is to cost £1,200. It is expected to officially open the new building for the Y.W.C.A. about the middle of this month. A poll of ratepayers of the borough of Pukekohe on the proposal of the Borough Council to borrow £2,500 in order that a site for a technical high school might be purchased and presented to the Education Department, resulted in the scheme being approved by 98 votes to 15. The Franklin County Council has agreed to accept a half-share of the liability in respect to the annual payment of interest and sinking fund for the loan. The proposal to abolish the Nelson and Napier Street. Schools and to erect a new up-to-date building on another site, was briefly referred to at the meeting of the City Schools Committee. It was stated that Mr. T. G. Price, architect, had accompanied the chairman of the committee on a visit of inspection of the schools and the proposed new site. Mr. Lilly suggested that in order to stimulate public interest in the committee’s endeavours to provide up-to-date and healthy schools for children a public meeting be held. Mr. Price might be asked to give an address on school buildings generally and make a particular reference to the schools controlled by the committee. The suggestion was agreed to. A reduction in building permits issued during the year ended March 191 S was recorded by the City Engineer in his Annual Report. He says the value of buildings for which permits were issued was £154,758, as against £274,097 in the previous year. The difference is accounted for, to some extent by the fact that the previous year’s figures included £49,000 for the new market buildings. - Dealing with street, maintenance, the report states that the year’s allocation for this work was the largest that the city has made. The mileage of (he streets to be maintained is now 155, or, exclusive of Grey Lynn, 11524, over 850,000 square yards of roadways and footpaths had been tarred and sanded, representing an aggregate area of 176 acres.

Messrs Chilwell & Trevithick, A.A.R.T.8.A., called for tenders last month for alterations to premises at Mt. Eden for Messrs. R. & W. Hellaby. The Auckland Hospital Board called for tenders for additions to Public Hospital, Whangarei, Mr. Farrell architect. Messrs. Mahoney & Bon called for tenders for the erection in brick of a factory at Epsom. The Education Board are calling for tenders for the erection of a new school at Okarea. Messrs. Ed. Mahoney & Son call for tenders for residence in wood at Devonport. The Defence Dept, are calling for tenders for the erection of three work-shops at Pukeroa Hill, Rotorua. CHRISTCHURCH The local Fruitgrowers’ Association has completed arrangements with the Government for the erection in the city of a co-operative fruit and egg cool store, to have a capacity of about 3.000 eases. A communication from the Director-General of Agriculture states that the Government has now approved of the desired advance of £9,000 towards the erection of the proposed store, the advance being by way of loan under the Fruit Preserving Act. In view of this decision, and of the fact that the response from fruitgrowers to the request to take shares in a co-operative concern with a £IO,OOO capital has been satisfactory. Me are glad to note that a petition is being signed freely to present, to the Attorney General demonstrating the necessity of granting permission to erect a Solar Salt Works at New Brighton. This project being a local industry should be gone on with at once. It would assist to revive interest in building which is much needed at present, and provide salt much cheaper than it can be imported. It is understood that the authorities in Wellington have approved of the sketch plans of the alterations to be made at the Christchurch Hospital for the housing of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Unit. The sketch plans are now in the hands of the architect, who will prepare the working plans and the specifications. As soon as these are ready the work of effecting the alterations will be pushed on as quickly as possible so that the Chalmers Ward at the hospital may be ready for the Unit which is at present en route to the Dominion, when it arrives. Work on Bowen House, the building being erected in Eolleston Avenue, near the corner of Gloucester Street, for the accommodation of boarders at Christ College, is progressing satisfactorily, and it is anticipated that the building will be ready by Christmas. It will have accommodation for sixty boys. T he top floor will contain three big dormitories and a small one, sewing and suit rooms, and a linen press. The ground floor will comprise a big common room and changing room, four sma'l studies and the office. The building has been so planned as to permit of its extension in brick to Gloucester Street, to replace the present wooden building which is being used for school boarders. Messrs. Collins & Harman called for tenders last month for the erection of a hospital at Oxford for the North Canterbury Hospital Board, but when the tenders came in the cost of the lowest was considerably above the estimated amount that the construction of the building has been held over In the meantime. The same architects called for tenders for the erection of a morgue, and in this case a tender of £2,1530, being about £l7O below the estimate was accepted. The successful tenderer being Mr. Joseph Taylor. Messrs. England Bros, invited tenders for a new fever ward for the Ashburton Hospitable and Charitable Board last week, and Mr. J. S. Guthrie called for tenders for converting S arland Theatre into shops and offices. DUNEDIN The tender of Messis. Wood & McCormack for £2,975 was accepted by the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board bet month for the erection of shelters for consumptives at Waikari. Other tenderers were: Fletcher Tires., £3.005; Thomas Ferguson, £3,080, and O’Sullivan & Bailone, £3,171. Some six months ago a meeting of rate payers of North-East Harbour was held, when a committee was set up to devise ways and means of erecting a public hall. All arrangements were completed, and it was thought advisable to form a society, having for its object the expenditure of the money accruing from the

hall to some useful purpose. Last week a meeting was held, and the original Hall" Committee became merged into the North-East Harbour Improvement Society. Mr. W. Rowlands was elected chairman, and 25 members were enrolled at an annual fee of 3/6. A commencement will be made this week with the erection of Hie hall.

A Press Association telegram states that the executive of the Wellington Red Cross received a letter from the GovernorGeneral on Thursday night in regard to the suggestion by Surgeon-General Henderson that the Red Gross should consider the question of erecting work-shops for orthopaedic treatment. One is to be started at the Consumptive Sanatorium at D atum a, and it is proposed to establish functional work-shops at Wanganui Convalescent Home, the Christchurch Surgical Hospital, the Masterton Hospital, the Dunedin Convalescent Home at Montecillo, Invercargill, and the extension at Hanmer.

The contract for additions to the Otago Dairy Producers’ Cool Storage Co’s, present building, adjacent to the Victoria Wharf was secured by Mr. .1. A. McKinnon whose price was £3,453 12 6. Twelve tenders were received for the work. Mr. Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., architect, states that the new store will be brought out from the present building on the town side, and that it wall be 132 ft. long and 55 ft. wide. Ft will be constructed on the same lines as the other store. The old store held roughly, about 16,000 crates, but as the new one will be a little higher it is estimated that it will have a capacity of about 19,200 crates. A start will be made immediately on the building, and it is expected to be completed by the middle of December.

Mr. ,1. A. McKinnon’s tender of £3,453 12 0 has been accepted for an addition to the Otago Dairy Producers’ Cool Storage Coy’s Cheese store at Dunedin, Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., architect.

Messrs. Fletcher Bros, tender of £I,OBB has been accepted for a building for the Waitaki Dairy Coy. at Station St. Dunedin. Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., architect.

Mr. J. L. Hamilton’s tender has been accepted for a new shop front and verandah at No. 43 George St., Dunedin, Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., architect. Messrs. Fletcher Bros. tender of over £2,200 has been accepted for a new building at No. 39 George St., Dunedin, to be occupied by George Ritchie & Co. Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., architect. Messrs. Mason & Wales, Salmond & Vanes, E. W. Walden, and Leslie D. Coombs, architects, have been invited to submit designs for a memorial to Otago Old Boys who have fallen in the war. HAMILTON Messrs. Warren £ Blechynden called for tenders last month for the erection of an Infectious Diseases Ward at Hamilton. TIMARU Last month a new building was completed, the St Saviour’s Orphanage for boys on Morgan’s Road. It is now proposed that the building should be leased to the Government for five years. WELLINGTON The much discussed question of a Technical School site was settled last month by the Government granting a site in Mount Cook area. Mr. Hanan said that the dedication was conditional on the granting of £II,OOO by the Wellington City Council towards the cost of the buildings; the council had already promised £IO,OOO of that sum. The question of providing money for the building had yet to be discussed by him with the Minister (if Finance. Mr. Hanan made the point clear that Cabinet so far had been concerned with only the question of a site. The Minister mentioned that the site would not have much ground suitable for recreation, but it was considered that the adjacent Basin Reserve would meet that need. Some levelling would be required. Help in this work had been promised by the Justice Department in 1916.