AIRPORT PLANS U.S. Navy Wants To Lease, Not Build

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31831, 8 November 1968, Page 12

AIRPORT PLANS U.S. Navy Wants To Lease, Not Build

The United States Navy had no desire to own buildings at the Christchurch Airport, Rear-Admiral J. L. Abbot, commander of the Navy’s Antarctic operation, said yesterday.

Admiral Abbot said it seemed to worry some people when the Navy talked of wanting permanent headquarters at Harewood.

In fact, the only thing the Navy wanted was to replace the present old buildings being leased from the Christchurch City Council with a new building or buildings, which would also be leased. He said the present buildings were becoming unsightly. Because of their scattered distribution they were inefficient, and they were in the path of National Airways Corporation expansion.

"If a way could be found for the city, the airport authority, or the Government to capitalise a replacement facility which they would lease to us they might be able to erase the problems for both parties,” Admiral Abbot said. Lease payments by the Navy would eventually pay for the building, but there would be no change in the nature of the Navy’s tenancy. Admiral Abbot said the design of the new facilities had been discussed with the airport authority. The building could be designed in such a way that it would have other uses during the off-sea-son. For example, it could be designed to accommodate conventions.

He said the sooner the new building was arranged the better. “But it is not urgent in the sense that we’re soon going to be out on the street with the termites laughing at us,” he said. The site he would like would be one close to the Navy's hangars on the perimeter of the airfield.