‘Y’ seeks partner to develop its site

Press, 16 April 1986, Page 44

‘Y’ seeks partner to develop its site

By

Neill Birss

The Christchurch YMCA is looking for a partner to develop its big central Christchurch site. The YMCA has 5236 square metres of prime site. It is inviting proposals from business and anyone-else with the capital and expertise to redevelop the land.

The YMCA would retain ownership, and hopes it can obtain new buildings for itself. The partner would obtain prime land, at one boundary overlooking the Botanical Gardens, and at another the Arts Centre. The site is occupied by: ® The YMCA main stadium, gymnasium, and squash courts. • A 68-bed hostel. •An old two-storey house leased out as small flats.

@ A clinic specialising in sports medicine.

The boundaries are Cashel Street, Rolleston Avenue, and Hereford Street. The site takes up the whole top of the block. The YMCA wants to update its buildings and make better use of the site, says the Christchurch president, Mr Ray Thomson. The leaders of the organisation have discussed what it should do.

The group decision is that the “Y” should stay in the central city. It knows its prime asset is its site, and it wants to use this to modernise its facilities so that it can continue its service to the community. It will consider any proposals, but the idea of the “Y” leaders is that someone could redevelop the site, and in return for use of part of the land, provide: © Facilities such as those provided by the gymnasium complex. © A new hostel comparable in capacity to the present one, which has 68 beds.

©New accommodation for the medical centre with its doctors and other specialists. Christchurch’s YMCA is in very good heart, says Mr Thomson. It has survived changing age patterns, the decline of the central city, and social change better than many similar organisations.

It has a suburban branch at Bryndwr. This is strongly family oriented, and successful. But the “Y” does not want to decentralise further. Its place is in the heart of Christchurch, leaders believe. The YMCA has been

superseded by local bodies in its role as a provider of stadiums. Rising living standards have meant that those who once needed its facilities for recreation now may be often out of the city in their cars in pursuit of skin-diving, ski-ing, or tramping.

But there are new needs. The YMCA runs special classes for the handicapped. Business people jogging around Hagley Park at lunch time use the facilities for showering and changing back into suits.

Mr Terry Hill, the executive director of the Christchurch YMCA, says that, unfortunately, the joggers tend not to join the “Y”, but use of core facilities is now increasing. Money has largely been raised from members or by fund raising. Gifts and bequests have been helpful.

The “Y” set up in Cambridge Terrace in 1884, roughly between the site of the present police headquarters and the Army building. In 1908 it moved to the site now occupied by the police headquarters. Its new home incorporated the Boys’ Gordon Hall, well known to many older Christchurch people. The move to the present site came about in 1964. The hostel is based on the old Christchurch College, sold to the "Y” at a reasonable price when the University of Canterbury moved from the city centre to Ham. In parts the now-YMCA hostel is a hundred years old, and constructed of wood. Other wings are of brick. Most of the hostellers are students, men and women, but during the end-of-year holidays travelling students are catered for. The facilities are decaying quite rapidly. However, the “Y” will con-

tinue to provide hostel beds.

The medical centre, which specialises in sport medicine, works closely with the YMCA. It has physiotherapists and a foot specialist as well as doctors. Patients use the gymnasium facilities. The YMCA wants the close association to continue, and will have it incorporated in any development. George Williams founded the first Young Men’s Christian Association in London in 1844. Its aim was and is to develop Christian morals and leadership qualities in young people. The Christian ethic is still strorig in the “Y” movement. Members still see a need for the organisation. Everywhere, YMCAs have grappled with the problem of being suddenly in a city centre while social life has moved to the suburbs. The Auckland Y.M.C.A. has been considering integrating its stadium in a redevelopment of its site. Christchurch is taking a positive approach and will try to capitalise on its position. Someone may propose developing the site as a parking complex. Since the arts centre has been set up, more car-parking facilities have been needed. Perhaps the YMCA could use some floors of a parking building for its gymnasium requirements.

Such an excellent site near the gardens and the arts centre may be ideal for a tourist hotel, but there is a difficulty. The zoning of the area limits construction to four storeys, though exceptions can be made to town plans. Any firm or person with interest in a venture using the YMCA site, and with deep pockets, and a sound reputation should approach Mr Hill.