Unwanted facade nearly collapses

Press, 24 July 1987, Page 4

Unwanted facade nearly collapses

PA Auckland The Chase Corporation will continue today to try to save a historic building facade it did not want in the first place. The 1882 Scotts Building facade was in danger of collapsing into Victoria Street, central Auckland, yesterday but by last evening the bulging parapet had been stabilised. Contractors worked until late with a cherrypicker, strengthening the facade and fixing it to the concrete wall being built behind.

The Auckland City Council’s building surveyor* Mr Peter Jordan,

said repairs to the cracked facade would not be extensive. There was no doubt the old structure could be saved. Asked whether there would be an investigation, Mr, Jordan said, “We will want to be satisfied that in similar circumstances, it does not happen again.” , Chase had opposed keeping the facade as part of its finance centre development, but the City Council ruled that it be retained. Construction workers were making a final pour on the concrete wall about 1 p.m. yesterday when they noticed the parapet move and raised

the alarm. Part of Victoria Street was blocked and nearby shops and offices cleared as the cracked upper left corner of the facade was secured with steel ropes. The managing director of Chase Properties, Mr Murray Kindle, said those involved with the facade, particularly the engineers, had done an excellent job.

Preservation of the facade had proved difficult and had cost about $1 million. The facade was built using old construction methods and was on unstable ground. The parapet which buckled under the weight of the concrete was the facade’s weakest point.