NEW BUILDINGS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 14

NEW BUILDINGS.

RAPID EXPANSION OF THE TOWN. Tho Borough Council building permits give evidence of tho steady growth of Napier in size and importance. Each year soes tho enlargement of .a number of business premises, and the erection of now warehouses, while the amounts which private residents aro ablo to expend on uow dwellings speaks well for tlio general prosperity of the town. Tho total valuo of the new buildings erected in each yortr is surprisingly high, and for the period from the beginning of 1906 to the end of last month amounted to no less than £449,272. Wha't this increase means will be gathered when it is added that tho capital value of tho town of Napier in 1912 was calculated at £1,643,617, to which figure it had increased from £1,137;148 in 1900. . The value of tho now buildings erected in each year is shown by tho borough records to bo as follows: — £. 190G 27,920 • 1907 C0,(520' 1908 67,088 190!) 41,590 1910 61,505 1911 ..... 83,607 1912 82,941 1913 23,941* . <! To August 31. The bin spent on buildings during tho period as shown above is equdl _ to about £400 per head of the population, men, women, and children. Tho amount actually expended is probably greater than tlio figures indicate for tho borough usually gets the contract prica alono, and not tlio inevitable extras that develop as tlio building progresses. Among tho more important of tho new buildings erected during tlio period wero tho following New ward at tho hospital, £3850; Mr. T. Parker's shop, £7000; Messrs. Rebjolm's warehouse at Tlio Spit, £9000; the Skating Rmk, £3814; Central Hotel additions, £4278 ; Boys' Home, £1558; Education. Board offico, £2950; Nurses' Homo at tlio hospital, £10,750; Messrs. Granby's'store, in Breakwater Road, £2600; the N.Z Loan, and Mercantile Agency Co.'s alteration to wool store, £3300; Messrs. Richardson and Co.'s offices at tho Port, £4000; Messrs. Ross and Glendining's addition, £3300; Mr. Rutland's shop in Hastings Street, £2223; Messrs Murray, Roberts and Co.'s wool store, £9000; Messrs. Duncan and Lowo's gar'ago, £1000; Messrs. Dalgoty's , wool store, £4000; Empiro Picturo Theatro, £2000; N.Z. Shipping Co.'s wool store, £3000; Hawke's Bay County Council oiliccs, £4450; children's ward at tho hospital, £2540; Mr. J. P. Thompson's ollices in Tennyson Street, £3500; Working Men's Club additions, £3700; Messrs. Sargood's building in Dickens Street, £2100; Mossrs'. Blytho's building in Hastings Street/ £6000; and the block of buildings for Mr. J. M'Vay, Mr. Abbott, and Messrs. Ellison and Duncan, £5323. In addition to ■ tho buildings mentioned', a number have been erected by tho Government. ' Land in Hastings Street in tho heart of the town is to-day practically unprocurable, as thero are no sellers. Tho

ment with the Harbour Board. 'J'iio syndicate reclaimed an area, of about 300 acres and completed its operations about five years ago. It diverted the Tittackuri River from its former bed at tho rear of the railway station to tho outer boundary of tho area to be reclaimed, somo two-thirds of a milo west of tho station, and filled ill tho wliolo intervening space.

The town district of Napier South, as laid out, lias an area of 220 acres, ex-, clusivo of roads, but including a fine, park of 20 acres presented to the public by tho syndicate. Another park of ,10 acres lias lately been opened in the Sam? vicinity as a memorial to tho late Sir Donald M'Leaii. Tho lirst sale of sections took place just on five years ago and sinco then the town lias grown from nothing to its present flourishing state. No fewer than 300 buildings have been erected, which means that sixty have gono up on ail average each year, or moro thau one every week throughout the whole period. The population now amounts to 1200. On April 1 last the improvements in the town district wero valued at £89,773 and tlio unimproved value of the land was assessed at £02,479, making the total capital value. £182,252. It is stated that the minimum valuo of the land 'to-day is £800 per annum, and the host sections liavo Vun up to £1000 an acre. A recent salo saw an allotment, 13 perches in area, change hands at £125. As Napier South is outside the borough the residents have not benefited by "tho recent sewage scheme', and they have no public water supply. A prominent resident ill the district stated that there certainly was an agitation for the inclusion of the town district m the borough, but most of it, he declared, came from residents of the borough and not from Napier South. The local rates aro collected on tho unimproved valuo ami amount to 1 34-37 d. m the £, including the charitable aid rate and a. piipcial loan rate. The loan, it may ho explained, was raised by % County Council. It amounted to £0000 ana was expended on roods. There seems little doubt that tho Town Board will before long have to go m for a water-supply scheme of some sort,'cither by arrangement with tho bcroueh or independently a project will probably be submitted shortly _to borrow £25,000 for a water service. As the town district is absolutely flat, Mud for a reservoir would have to bo puichased oil the hills in Napier borough and tho water pumped up into it Uom. artesian bores on the flat. The attitudo of Napier South towards inclusion in tho borough will no doubt depend very largely on tho extent to which tho present very extensive scheme of improvements m Napier itselt proves self-supporting.