Maryknoll demolition

Press, 2 December 1981, Page 16

Maryknoll demolition

Demolition has begun of Maryknoll, the former Catholic house and drop-in centre in Cashel Street. The 60-year-old two-storey wooden house was the subject of a court case two years ago between a group who used the house as a weekly drop-in centre and the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby). A bid in the Supreme Court by the Arohanui Christian Community failed to stop the Bishop selling the property. The community had asserted that the mission of the Church would be better served if the property was retained. Maryknoll and surrounding land have been now bought by the Christchurch ‘ City Council, which started demo-

lition on Thursday. [ The site would be used for I parking to service the Cashel i Street-High Street mall, said j the Council's superintendent ■ of parking, Mr G. N. Stevenson. “It is hoped to provide 700 parking spaces at either end of the mall. The Maryknoll i site will be used for reserve i parking in the short term [ and possibly as a parking I building in the long term,” he [ said. ,’ The demolition will take i about three weeks. Much of i the building materia] from ■ the old house will be salv- j aged by a team of Project ’ Employment Programme i workers under the super- i vision of the council. The j council intends to use it for > site buildings at the National i Marae in Pages Road. [