Plan to save Nazareth House ‘too late’

Press, 17 January 1986, Page 5

Plan to save Nazareth House ‘too late’

Property reporter A proposal to try to save Nazareth House from demolition has come too late, according to solicitors acting for the Sisters of Nazareth.

The Historic Places Trust has suggested converting Nazareth House to a retirement village similar to Bishopspark and Maryville. But Mr Lee Robinson, of Malley and Company, said yesterday that, financially, it was too late to consider alternatives and the building would be demolished. “It this proposal had been made three or four years ago it could have been looked at in the cold light of day, but that time is long gone.

“It has been public knowledge since 1977 that it (Nazareth House) would be demolished unless an alternative proposal came up, and nothing has,” said Mr Robinson.

In the Historic Places Trust proposal, the planned new home for the elderly, to be built behind the existing Nazareth House, would be moved further back on the site.

This, and selective demolition of brick buildings behind the front wing of Nazareth House, would make way for about 30 retirement units in the wing facing north to Brougham Street. The chairman of the Canterbury regional committee of the trust, Mr Don Donnithorne, said that the trust considered the proposal feasible and economically viable.

Although it could not prevent the demolition, it could try to arrive at a solution whereby the building could be retained and the requirement of the owners met, he said.

The trust also had some funds which could be available to prepare a feasibility

study of the proposal and perhaps, if an application was made, provide some funding for it, said Mr Donnithorne. He did not know how much would be available. “The thing would be selffunding because people would have to purchase their units.” Mr Robinson said that it was now at the stage where the sisters must proceed. “We are not in a position to consider alternatives because it is too late.”

“The sisters have to get on with the business of looking after the old, and delays will mean increased costs and will limit scope for providing alternative accommodation.” He said it had been decided eight years ago that it was not feasible to house the elderly in the existing building.

A study commissioned in 1977 had shown that it

would be too expensive to strengthen the building to a reasonable level of earthquake soundness. The rate of inflation and the pending imposition of the goods and services tax had made the sisters aware of the need to proceed with the development urgently, he said.

More delays meant increased costs which meant that the sisters were less able to provide a facility, said Mr Robinson.

Funding for the new $4.5 million building will come from a Government subsidy of $1,575,000 and money the sisters will raise mostly by selling lands in Marylands.

Mr Robinson said that he did not expect any problems with funding of the new building. “The subsidy was granted on the basis that they (the sisters) could meet the rest of the cost of the development.”