ADMINISTRATION BLOCK New proposals for Civic Centre

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32562, 23 March 1971, Page 1

ADMINISTRATION BLOCK New proposals for Civic Centre

The latest proposal for the administration block and parking building (stage II) of the Town Hall complex is a five-storey, L-shaped building, capable of lineal extension should the need arise.

This would lie to the south of a raised plaza covering two decks of concealed car parking, extending from the Town Hall to Durham Street and between the Citadel and Kilmore Street,

The proposed administration building and car park building would fit much more harmoniously with the Town Hall buildings than the first proposal, the City Council was informed last evening.

The first scheme was for a 14-storey tower building administration block, which could be built on the roadway across Victoria Street without the immediate purchase of any land. The cost of this tower alone, at today’s prices, was estimated at $2.7m land cost nil, but no parking. The council decided that the Town Hall architects, Messrs Warren and Mahoney, be formally appointed the council’s architects for the proposed administration building and parking building.

The council also authorised the appointed architects to prepare sketch plans for those two buildings along the lines of their latest proposal. The architects had prepared sketches and plans of various schemes for the administration building over the last 18 months on a voluntary basis at the request of the Mayor (Mr A R. Guthrey).

Other properties The council requested the special Town Hall complex sub-committee to carry on with negotiations for the ultimate acquisition of all outstanding properties for the full development of the Civic Centre.

The city development committee’s report said that in the five-storey, L-shaped administration building the administrative offices were at concourse level and in three upper floors; an intermediate floor was devoted to council chamber, committee rooms and mayoral suite. “This building, which is just the same height as the Town Hall, has a gross area of approximately 78,000 sq. ft and, excluding land costs, is estimated to cost approxi-

mately sl.6m, plus about so.9m for the parking building and concourse,” said the report.

Heights matched “The latest scheme more closely approaches the original competition conception than the earlier ones,, and is expected to be more’ harmonious with the Town Hall buildings. The main columns of the two principal storeys exactly match the height of the outer column of the Town Hall and the next two storeys are glazed and copper-flnned similarly to the banquet hall wing,” the report said. “The whole building is much more modest than the tower scheme, as reflected in the estimates—building on this scale being much less costly in structure and lifts. Full parking “Built as a tower, the same 78,000 sq. ft would be at least $250,000 more, which is approaching the cost of the extra land required to the west of Victoria Street. Once acquired, that land permits the full parking needs to be developed and the whole Civic Centre project to become capable of completion.”