POWER BOARD’S BUILDING

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 16

POWER BOARD’S BUILDING

Draft plans for a £200,000 secretarial and administrative block to be built at Hornby were approved by the Central Canterbury Electric Power Board yesterday, when notice of intention to apply for loan authority was given.

After some discussion as to whether the building should be of three or five floors, the board decided to seek authority for the major scheme. The building will incorporate the secretarial offices, which will be moved from Leeston. •The chairman (Mr W. A. Newton) told the board of discussions with the architect (Mr D, E. Donnithorne) and said that a decision had to be made as to whether the block

should be of three or five storeys. “Our information is conclusive that if we build three storeys now and add two later, it will be much more expensive than building five storeys now,” he said. “1 am going to recommend that we approach the Loans Board for authority to borrow for a fivestorey building.” He said he felt the board could use four floors now. The fifth floor could be let for a term, or used as staff accommodation. The Secretary-Manager (Mr V. G. Mason) said that the board was paying for its £42,000 engineering block at the rate of £7OOO a year out of revenue. Payment would be completed in about three years. He thought the proposed new building could be financed in the same way, with debentures. Answering questions. Mr

Newton said that even if preliminary steps were taken immediately, it would be at least three years before the building was completed. “We can prove statistically the justification for five floors.” said Mr L. F. Chamberlain. “Our business is doubling every six years.” Mr L. T. Griffith said that the board's industrial load growth potential was greater than many others. Mr Newton said that the Leeston building was overcrowded. and would need a lot spent on it. Economics demanded a new building. On the motion of Mr T. F. Carter, the board decided to apply for £200,000 loan authority, to cover the estimated completed cost of a five-storey block. On the basis of paying off debentures, said Mr L. P. Manion, it would cost the board £253.000 altogether.

Mr W. H. Faulkner contrasted the window space in the new building with that in the engineering block. The board had found that too much glass was no asset, said Mr Newton. Windows were covered by curtains in the summer, and they were I cold in the winter. The archiitect had been specifically told to cut down on the area ' of glass, purely on experience ’ from the engineering block.

The illustration shows an architect’s drawing of the proposed block, which will replace a converted house at the corner of the Main South road and Brynley street. On the ground floor are showrooms, and a theatrette in the right-hand corner. The two-year-old engineering block is seen in the left background.