NEW SITE FOR AIR CENTRE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29024, 13 October 1959, Page 28

NEW SITE FOR AIR CENTRE

T.E.A.L.-N.A.C. Project In Armagh Street

The site for a city air centre in Christchurch has been acquired by the National Airways Corporation.

An arrangement for the participation of Tasman Empire Airways in the development of the site has been agreed to in principle by the two airline boards. The site is an acre of land running from Gloucester street to Armagh street. It has approximately 132 feet of frontage to each street.

Six properties were involved in the acquisition of the land. Three lots are cleared but three still have apartment buildings on them. Negotiations preceding the transaction were carried out by a Christchurch firm of land agents. Livingstone and Jones, Lang, Wootton.

National Airways previously acquired a site at the corner of Colombo street and Bealey avenue for a new air centre. This will be disposed of. Numbers 61, 63 and 65 Armagh street, which are cleared properties, were purchased from Mr K. C. Meyers. No. 67 Gloucester street is an old two-storcy house bought from I. E. and E. J. Bryce.

No. 64 Armagh street, purchased from Mr D. W. Meyers, has on it an old two-storey house converted to a number of flats.

The remaining property is a substantial house of three flats. It is owned by B. B. and J. C. Edgar. The future air centre would include branch administration and passenger and freight terminal facilities, the Christchurch manager of the National Airways Corporation (Mr J. E. Davies) said in a supplied statement yesterday. “The development of the site is not likely to take place for two or three years. It is the intention of the corporation then to dispose of its present properties in Gloucester and Cashel streets,” he said.

“To conform with present-day requirements sufficient area has been acquired to enable off-street parking of passenger transport,” he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Davies said that T.E.A.L. would be interested in availing itself of space in the new terminal building for passenger handling purposes only. [lt is understood T.E.A.L. wishes to preserve its own sales office in Cathedral square.] Mr Davies said that as yet plans for the development of the area had not yet been drawn.