Money finally found to buy old mill

Press, 13 March 1985, Page 9

Money finally found to buy old mill

By

KAY FORRESTER

Mr Clive Brooker, the Christchurch man who has spent the past three years raising money to buy the old Woods Brothers flourmill in Addington, last evening achieved his target. Mr Brooker had until 5 p.m. yesterday to rise the $67,000 outstanding on the $160,000 purchase price of the 94-year-old brick building, at 24 Wise Street. Although he did not have the money at the deadline, he had it by 8 p.m., Mr Brooker said.

He planned to be in touch with the owner of the mill first thing this morning. He did not foresee any prob-

lems as A.G.H. Developments, Ltd, the Auckland company that owns the mill, wanted to sell it.

The money had come from the Riccarton Players, whose Mill Theatre is in the building. The theatre group had offered to buy -the theatre for $40,000, Mr Brooker said.

The rest of the $67,000, with a little to spare, had come from a person who had been interested in the project for the last few weeks and had only last evening decided to put his money into it.

Mr Brooker has spent three years on the project to convert the mill into a centre for recreation and

light industry. He has lived in a flat in the mill for the last nine years.

He shares the mill with other tenants in flats, the Riccarton Players, the Damax Gymnastics Club, a video film maker, a catering company, a wood worker, a maker of croquettes, a honey business, and two artists.

He has spent the last few weeks desperately trying to raise finance to buy the mill but various pledges of money had fallen through.

Several times the company that owned the mill had extended its deadline by which the money had to be raised, Mr Brooker said. The company had been

“very patient.” The president of the Riccarton Players, Doug Clarke, said he was delighted that Mr Brooker had accepted the theatre group’s offer. The theatre would now have a permanent home.

The group had already spent about $30,000 on the theatre, which it moved into in June, 1983.

Part of the money to buy the theatre had come from a $lO,OOO grant from the Riccarton Borough Council. Mr John Fogarty, of Weston, Ward and Lascelles, solicitors acting for A.G.H. Developments, declined last evening to comment on the mill’s future.