PROPOSED TOWN HALL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14903, 17 February 1914, Page 5

PROPOSED TOWN HALL.

SITE EECO.iDIENDED,

COMPETITIVE DESIGNS FOR

BUILDING

Tlie Town Hall proposal came beforo the City Council at the meeting last night, when the special committee appointed to deal with tho project presented the following report:—

Town Hall Sit..—The comnuttoo rccon*fficuds that that part of Oxford teTrace lyuis betweeu Yictoxia -tiect and Colombo street be included in thc *itc for a Town H-IL

Competitive l,Vsi_rn_. —The committee W-c-mnie-ds that _ preliminary competition be held, and that competitive designs be invit«i: prln's of _'00 each to be given tor the four bc.t designs received, provided the winners c-tcr i_t» tbe fin-l cou.petit.oi_. " the successful competitor in tho final competition ._ engaged t; ) carry out the work, the £100 prize t. be merged -vith the commission. , Assessor.—The committee recommends thut tin _».oss-r, .-..dent in tho Dominion, be aopointLxi to select tlie four best d_.isus, his fee to b© thirty guinea*, plus -Is per centum on the catimttted cost of the building. Ihe New Zealand In_titiit- of Architects ha' f kindly offered to act na honorary tdvi-ern :u th. selection, and appointment of the __*<jv ror, and their offer has been cccepted by tha committoc. . . ... e_st of Building.—The committee further recommends that tho expenditure on the Town Hall building be limited to _-0,000. A DISCUSSION.

Cr. Hunter said ho hoped it was the intcntiou of tho committee to conserve as much of thc space as possible. Cr. McCullough said tho proposal site was the area where tho Band Rotunda now stood. Tho Council had alrciidv approved of that site. Cr. Cooper objected to the- proposed closing of the roadway along the riverside.

Cr. McCiillough said the- roadway would only be closed up if such wero found necessary. Cr. Otley approved of the proposal. It would be better, he said, to set the buildings back, so as to allow of more beautifying work being undertaken in front. The clause wa.s carried, Cr. Cooper dissenting. Cr. Loaf-by questioned whether tho Town Hall could be built for tho amount stated. Tho cost in other centres had been much higher. Cr. McCiillough replied that the stun proposed was for the building only. In other centres the value of tho land was included. The report was adopted.