Council rejects site deal

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 7

Council rejects site deal

The Christchurch City Council will not buy the central city site of the Horticultural Hall, Church House, and the synagogue. Councillors last evening opted in closed meeting not to buy the $4 million plus site for car-parking and a new civic art gallery.

It was a decision the policy and finance committee’s chairman, Cr

John Burn, said was “of the type that seems to be made in Christchurch now.” The council would not again get the chance of a prime central-city site for the much needed new art gallery, he said. “It is an opportunity rarely given. I think we will live to regret the decision,” he said. The council held an

option on the site until today and was considering a purchase price in excess of $4.5 million. A private company also had an offer on the site of about $4.5 million. Sources for the purchase would have been loan money, sales from council properties, and perhaps the library carparking fund. The council has still not

fulfilled commitments to provide parking for the library.

The council’s in-com-mittee decision not to buy the site, owned by Advantage Corporation and Mainstay Properties, prompted it to rescind the resolution it had passed in open meeting authorising the raising of a loan up to $2 million to go towards the purchase.