FUTURE OF OLD BUILDING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21255, 29 August 1934, Page 10

FUTURE OF OLD BUILDING

♦ | PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OFFICES : AN ADDITIONAL l.'Ol KTROO.U PROPOSED Keen interest has been shown recently in*the possible fate of the wooden section of the old Provincial Council buildings, now occupied by the staff of the Lands Department. When the new Government building in Worcester street is completed the Lands Department will transfer its quarters there, and the greater part of the old building will become vacant. This will not happen until towards the middle of next year, if present plans are adhered to, but already many people, particularly those who arc interested in the building for its architectural beauty and its historical associations, are wondering what will become of it. It seems certain that the interested authorities intend to do everything to preserve the beauty and utility of the old building, and an authoritative denial was given terday to a representative of "The Press" that there has been any suggestion on the part of the controlling authorities to demolish the wooden building. Such n suggestion, it w-.s stated, had been fairly widely circulated in Christchurch. But from what was known of the present intention of the authorities, it was far from the truth that any demolition was contemplated. Nor is the present condition of the building said to warrant any suggestion of demolition. Court Accommodation A proposal has been made that one of the largest rooms in the old building, when vacated, should be used as additional accommodation for the Magistrate's Court. This suggestion has neen placed before the court authorities, and it is likely that if the proposal receives departmental confirmation, a third courtroom will be estabi'-bed in the provincial buildings. It is believed that some of the other departments, including the Department of Agriculture and the Wheat Research Institute, which at present are not suitably housed, may also be transferred there. When the Lands Department leaves the building, there will be accommodation for at least three of the smaller departments which will not be affected bv the move into the new Worcester street building. An official inspection of the entire building was made recently, presumably with a view to considering whether anv repairs were necessary. It is known that some portions of the wooden building are affected by borer and urgently need replacing, but this does not include any of the vitallv important structural timbers, and apparently it would not be a prohibitively expensive task to make the building sound for occupation for a long period of years. It i considered logical that the Government should lake advantage of the vacation of the building to transfer into it. some of those departments which are inadequately housed at present, and which are accommodated in private properties for which rent has to be paid. Sum on Estimates The provision of additional accommodation for the staff of the Magistrate's Court has been urgently requested for several years, and for at least four years the. Government has shown its recognition of the urgency of the problem by placing a sum on the estimates to cover the contemplated extension of the present court building. But each year, although apparently the amount voted has been increased year by vear, the sum has not been exbended, and with the increase in the amount of work done at. the court the position has. become more acute. One of the main needs has been the provision of an additional courtroom. There are only two rooms suitable for sittings of any of the courts held in the present building, and frequently there have been sittings held in the rooms of the magistrates. It is also necessary t 0 hear much of the work which has to be done in chambers in the magistrate's rooms. This has caused congestion, it is stated, and there have been repeated representations for an improvement. Schemes for the provision of belter aceo k latum for the court and the stall have actually been drawn up, but have not been proceeded with. At present the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch is accommodated in buildings in High street, and the Wheat Research Institute in buildings owned by Canterbury College, in Montreal street, incar the offices of the registrar of ! the college.