FIRE STATION SOLD

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33360, 19 October 1973, Page 1

FIRE STATION SOLD

A young man wearing an open-neck shirt and casual trousers bought the Sydenham Fire Station, built in 1925, for $49,0CT0 at a public auc- ■ tion in Christchurch yesterday. The man said after the auction that the group he represented was examining “various uses” to which the station could be put when the fire brigade moves to its new quarters in Simeon Street, after December 1. Because of residential zoning, it would be used for residential purposes “at this stage,” the man said. He declined to give his name or identify his group. The sale ended speculation that the Government

might support a project mooted by the chairman of the Christchurch City Council’s welfare committee (Cr N. Sutherland) to use the building as a “multi-racial family centre.” Cr Sutherland was in Wellington yesterday trying to win the support of tile Minister of Social Welfare (Mr King). It was hoped that the Government might provide a grant towards the cost of the building, and that the balance might be raised by appeals to the public. The Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) had earlier told Cr Sutherland that the Government was unable to buy the station; and the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board had de-

| dined to lease it to the council because it needed the money to finance the new station. About 40 persons attended the auction, conducted for the board by Mr D. O. Chapman, of Ford and Hadfield, Ltd. Bidding began with the auctioneer’s bid of $40,000 and rose in bids of $lOOO to $48,000. There was a bid of $48,500 before the final bid. The property, situated at 293 Colombo Street, comprises a two-storey building and eight additional concrete-block bedrooms on a 43.2-perch section. The main building has a total floor space of about 9000 sq. ft and a frontage of 74ft to Colombo Street.