BUILDINGS AHEAD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 305, 18 September 1908, Page 7

BUILDINGS AHEAD.

ACTIVITY IN CITY. RECENT SLUMP IN THE SUBURBS. NATIONAL EDIFICES. During the drear months of winter there las been much talk of hard times and little I'ork among building trades and building rades' labourers.— The public will rememicr that there was a procession of men, claimng, to be unemployed, who .waited on the ?rimo Minister, urging him to provide somo and of work for those having wives arid 'amilies to support. There were labourers' ind tradesmen out of work at the time, but t was argued that the situation was exaggerated. Thero has certainly been sis months' dulness ill the building world, caused :hiefly by the fact that building in the suburbs almost ceased, having received a Jecided check by the condition of the money, market. Mortgagees want a long price for their money if tho property offered is in one of tho suburbs, and even then tho securities arc very closely inspected. Sales of suburban properties have fallen to a shadow of what they were, with the result that eorao of the land agents who came in on the crest of tho boom wave have returned to other employment. All this has meant a severe check to suburban building operations, and tho tradesmen so employed have been thrown on tho city, where architectural reformation" is in a state of lively evolution. Good Work Done. Thero has been a good deal of building going on in the city during the past winter,, and among those either just completed or on : the point of completion are several structures that would not disgrace any city in the world. . Buildings recently completed include the four-story . Goodwin Building, in Cuba Street; Messrs. R. Hannah and Co.'s big 'boot 'factory,' in Cuba Street Messrs. E. T. Taylor and Co.'s warehouse, in Courtonay Place j Mcssrsi Moorehpuse and Hadfield's ferro-concreto building, in Panama Street;..the St. George (Irwine and Stevenson) building,- in Brandon Street; Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Stains's ferro-concrete warehouse, jn Johnston Street; tho Civil Service Club, in Stout Street; tho new Occidental and Commercial Hotels, on Lambton Quay ; the, New Zealand Insurance Company's handsome building, Lambton Quay: the Dwan Bros.' private hotel, in Lower Cuba Street ; Luke's new warehouse building, Clyde Quay; the Clydo Court Private Hotel, Clyde Quay; and Anderson's new warehouse, Molcsworth Street. ' Buildings in Process of Erection. Big buildings now in progress ihcludo the Public Trust building on Lambton Quay; Messrs. H. Hannah and Co.'? shops and offices on Lambton Quay; the Union Bank, Lambton Quay; Messrs. Murray, Roberts and Co.'s new warehouse,* Featherston Street; Mr. Jas. Trevor's new warehouse, in Lower Cuba Street; the Church of St. Gerard (Rederaptorist), Hawker Street; alterations to Newtown Public Library; Municipal Electrical Department's building, Mercer Street; Union Co.'s building, Customhouse Quay; addition (detached) to Wellington College; Kirkcaldie • and Stains's warehouse,' Lambton Quay ; the city tramway's pay-in office, Thorndon Quay; the Norwich Insurance Company's building, Featherston Street; and Prouse and Co.'s timber mill buildings, Taranaki Street-.. ..... A Bright Prospect. Tfiat the building outlook is particularly bright in Wellington none can doubt who has been reading the papers lately. The Government programme alone is a colossal one in itself. First thero. is the General Post Office, for \which"'ft is assumed new .tenders will be called for a slightly modified "Huil'ding. The lowest tender was over £20,000 above the Government architect's estimate, which does not tend to encourage faith 'in architects' estimates. At the lowest com« putation this structure will cost £80,000. Then there is the State building' programme —new Parliamentary Buildings; new Government House, possibily new Departs . mental buildings; new museum, and. new railway station. It is not likely that all these buildings will bo in course of erection at the same time, but it is imperative that a start should be mado with the new Parliamentary. Buildings as soon as possible. ■ Other public buildings about to be erected in tho city are tho now fever hospital, to bo built on the Asylum Reserve, and the new Technical School,:, to be probably erected in Wallace .Street, Newtown. Besides the so there is Ca.dbury's steel-frame building,' to go up in Ghuznee Street; Mr. Geo. Denton is to build a four-story shop and warehouse on the. site of his present premises ill Willis Street: the Bannatyno Estate trustees will probably build on that valuable corner section at the junction of Featherston and Hunter Streets, and there is also Mr. Robert Hannah's building in Cuba Street. Other plans for prospective city buildings are on tho drawing boards, but in the majority of cases the necessary order to go ahead baa not been given—money is still very tight 1

Boom in. Auckland,... The building trade is said to bo booming in Auckland. In a brief review of the buildings to bo crected in the immediate future in that city, mention is made of eight-storj buildings in Custom Street for Messrs. L. D. Nathan a.ud Co." and Mr.' JVC. Spcdding. During tho nest few. months several big public buildings, involving an expenditura of over £250,000; will be commenced in Auckland, viz.:, tho Town Hall,;. £90,000; the new Post Office, £85,000; Seadon Memorial Technical College, £30,000; Harboui Board offices, £25,000; Y.M.C.A. Buildings, £17,000; Edendale school, £2300; Grey Lynn school,.£1800; and the new Magistrate's Court. ■' . '