GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 303, 16 September 1908, Page 7

GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.

SOME FACTS CONCERNING THEM. 1 INSUFFICIENT ACCOMMODATION. Evidence was given before the Parliament Souse Rebuilding Committee by Mr. H. J.AH: Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, regarding the position of public aepartmcnts in relation to the present offices, end 'the further accommodation required. Mr.. 810w 1 stated that the number of offiserS jaccomraodated in the Government Buildings ) was 670. ' Only comparatively recently the accommodation was extremely congested, but.' the addition of the new wing at tho north end had relieved the pressure, and there was now no congestion in any Department. Nevertheless, no single Department had any more space than it needed, and to provide for the annual growth of the Government service it was obvious, that further accommodation must be provided again at no distant date. Furthermore, the accommodation: was not really sufficient for the staff ias 'now: employed, as the Government was paying .in rents something over £3000 for offiiie accommodation in Wellington. As a measure of economy, it would be wise to erect farther buildings at once. The in-terest-on the cost of a new building would probably, be less than the amount the Government'wds'now paying for rent. "Have you formed any opinion as to tile expediency of making further additions to the old wooden building, also in wood?" ' "Yes, I have a very strong opinion'on that point. ,' I hope we have made the last addition':to that building. A.t present we have the''majority of our eggs in one basket, and the' Calamity that would happen to the public service' if that building were to be destroyed by fire-is too awful.to contemplate: it would paralyse the whole machinery of Government!" ;'. 'Are you in favour of a continuous block of buildings as we have now in the Government' Buildings even in the event of the erection of buildings elsewhere?" / "No, I do not think l am. I think even from a picturesque point of view separate blocks would be desirable, and also from the point of view of fire; but, of course, if the building were to be fireproof there would not be "so much objection on that account. If the system were followed out of erecting a properly constructed fireproof building we should be fairly well protected from fire." .Without closing Sydney Street there would be' accommodation on the old Parlia- ■ ment site for Department buildings for the next fifty years. )V,Do you think it would be a disadvantage "to,have the Departmental Buildings on that site?"' ■ .

: " I think it is a very good site, but I do not think it is equal, to the present Government Buildings site."

. The 1 strong-rooms the present Government Buildings-were quite safe from fire, if - ; thd; falling portions of the building did not ' damage-tnom. ■-• •■'Mr. Blow- was averse to closing Sydney Street.

: ; YALUE OF THE SITE. , Mr. Blow produced alternative plans for cutting 'Up tno present site of the Departmental Buildings. If offered for sale they would realise as. follows: —

Under plan No. ,I.—Lambton Quay, 360 ft. at £200, £72,000; Bunny Street (not including; side frontage of corner lots facing .Lambton Quay and Featherston Street), 150 ft.. at £100, £15,000; section at. corner leathers ton Street and Bunny Street (30ft. .to:Featherston Street, at right angles), at £150 per foot,-£4500; Stout Street, 330 ft, at '£100, £33,000; Stout Street, 131 ft. at £10,480; Featherston Street, 120 ft. at £80, £9600; two sections at corners Featherston, Stout, jnd New. Streets, • £4000; section at corner of Featherston and Whitmore Streetsj : '£3000; Whitmore Stnet-, 150 ft. at £100;.-£15,000; New Street, 300 ft. at £100, £30,000; total, £196,580 . .Under plan No. 2:—Lambton.Quay,i 360 ft. at -£200 V £72,000; Bunny Street, 180 ft. at £ldo, £18,000; section at. oorner of Featherstin'; and . Bunny ' Streets (30ft. at right angles by , average depth of '■ 36ft. 6in.), £1500;..;Featherston Street, 14Sft. at £100, £14,800; section at corner of Featherston Street and New Street, £2500; Featherston Stftiet}'l2Bft. (right angles) at £80, £10,240; "Whitmofe Street,- 360 ft. at £100, £36,000; Now/'Street;'s4oft. at £100j £54,000; total, £209,040. ,

These- were estimates on the capital values pf '/ J the present time. - He considered it wnuld .be a mistake to sell the site' ' ' The Premier: The Government is against selling it. - 4 1 , .Examined later, Mr. Blow said the DoveHament architect ' valued the land 'at £54,000. THE DEPARTMENTS. IF TRANSFERRED TO MOLESWORTH ' ■ STREET. Explaining the-proposals in regard to placing the Departmental buildings on the old-Parliament Buildings site, Mr. Campbell saidithat the total frontage of the suggested building to Sydney Street would be 588 ft. !t would be set back 20ft. from the frontage if "Fraih's Contract" and this was proposed n order to enable Sydney Street to bo in-, :reafeed ;in width from 50ft. to 66ft. The .Writ wall of "Frain's Contract" would thus ic.: lost". ■ v Tne comparative superficial area occupied by' the existing portion of the Parliament Building, was 11,000 square feet ground area, or : 20j000 square feet floor area. Of tho new . portibtiji 176,000 square feet would bo entirely, new,'and 9000 squarefeet of proposed neiv story over the existing portion, giving a total 6f 185,000 square feet. In . other words this would be nineteen times the area of the existing portion of tho old building. In the old Government Buildings there were 100.484 square feet, and in the suggested building _ there " would bo 205,000 Square feot. This would bo double the present space in the Government Buildings; arid 5000 feet to spare. Assuming the frontage to Molesworth Street were orfeeted for Government Departments; the cost wouldbe' £20,'000. The Prime Minister: "As far as I know, the only portion wo would • require to go on vifh ivquld be the Mdlesworth Street frontCampbrll, continuing, said tho new bii'' !iug could be ereoted gradually, and yet lj!'i. i".-prriof. The total estimated cost of tho . bull i;it? was 185,000 ft. of now work". ■ _ r • T-!:" Premier: V'<- do not- require to provide foi ■ ore than ,fi"0,000. Wo are not suggest-. ii,j< .ii,-. expenditure of £188,000. i'IC.SKXT GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. Mr. Campbell also produced, a plan suggcstinji how the present Departmental buildings c'juld bo utilised for shops, warehouses, etc. The suggestion was to cut off the side and front wings and erect shops and warehouses round all the frontages of tho land, practically without disturbing the 1 old building. Tile telephone exchango would go on to tho top of the new post office. A forty feet space would bo left botweon the old and tho new buildings, and there would be various entrances. and arcades throueh the old edifice.