$2m centre planned for elderly

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 1

$2m centre planned for elderly

A centre for elderly persons on a site of 91 perches near the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Cashel Street is planned by the Christchurch Aged People’s Welfare Council.

The centre will comprise a two-storey, TIshaped building containing a hall for 350 persons, restaurant, large 'occupational therapy dejpartment and administration offices.

The second stage will be a multi-storey, high-rise block of residential flats for elderly persons built above the first stage.

The site, comprising five properties, near the southwest corner of Cashel Street and Cambridge Terrace, is zoned commercial three. The City Council last evening adopted the recommendation of its town-planning committee approving the plot ratio and sketch plans submitted by the architect for the project, Mr D. Bellamy. The secretary of the Christchurch Aged People’s Welfare Council (Mr M. H. Vile) said yesterday that the project was dependent on finance. A Government subsidy of $3 to $1 was available on buildings for the wel fare of aged people. Mr Vile emphasised that the high-rise, residential, tower block proposed as the second stage would not be financed by his council.

TOWER BLOCK “The plan is to build the foundations of the first, twostorey stage sufficiently; strong to take a tower block. j The air space above our two i storey block will then be sold for the multi-storey tower, block of flats with a tag that! the flats be used for housing elderly persons only.” said Mr Vile.

He said that the first stage was estimated to cost between $700,000 and $BOO,OOO to build. His council would thus have to find about $200:000. The second stage would cost more than slm but the council would not have to raise finance for that. The welfare council will hold a press conference on

j the project in about a month. The council was left a proiperty on the site (wot th ' about $40,000) and has since i spent about $130,000 buying other properties. The whole [ amounts to 91 perches. The 'money for acquiring the proI perties has come mainly from I legacies. Hundreds of elderly perI sons use the occupational I therapy facilities at present iin a two-storey brick house on the site. The welfare council also runs Langford 'House and has an organising ! committee for the co-ordin-lation of aged people’s wel- ; fare projects in Christchurch . run by the churches and ! other agencies. i GOVT’S PROMISES | The welfare council’s executive is very much in fav-i jour of a centre, and flats.' for elderly persons in the I heart of the city, within easy; reach of all facilities, and Considers the site overlook-; ing the Avon and Bridge ot [ Remembrance an ideal one. I Mr P. N. G. Blaxall, chairman of the executive, and' Dr H. R. Donald, a formei chairman, consider the site has exciting potential. Thel executive had been greatly, encouraged by the Labour Party promises about making more generous subsidies for homes for the aged, said Mr, Blaxall. The Health Department is: at present conducting a review of housing needs for elderly persons in Christchurch and it is probable that the welfare council will undertake a complementary review.

“My council feels very strongly that elderly persons should be encouraged to feel part of the main stream of life, even if they cannot participate in all aspects of it. Therefore members strongly favour the central site for the elderly persons’ centre, and also for the flats,” Mr Vile said.

The making of Durham Street a one-way street, in

..eluding the building of a • I new bridge near the Bridge 11 of Remembrance and the closing of the latter bridge ■, to vehicular traffic, will : i make the intersection of Cam - i ; I bridge Terrace and Cashel ■' Street a problem for traffic i flows. The welfare council has /suggested to the City Coun 1. cil that Cambridge Terrace ’[between Cashel and Montreal •’ j Streets (also to become a /one-way street) become a cul- • Ide-sac with entry and exit' ! j from Montreal Street. That would not only assist • traffic flows in Durham Street > Cambridge Terrace and’ I Cashel Street west, but also' make a wonderful environ-, ment for its centre.