NEW POLICE STATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2407, 12 March 1915, Page 7

NEW POLICE STATION

IN LOWER TARANAKI STREET

CONVENIENT, COMFORTABLE AND SUBSTANTIAL

The foundations of the new Police Station for Wellington Central, situated next to Hatrick and Company's garage and warehouse in Lower Taranaki Street, nave been in for some time past, ana it was learned with interest that an immediate start was to bo made with the crcction of the superstructure. The ivork practically commenced yesterday, when a number of bricklayers and labourers were engaged by the foreman of works, Mr. W. Mounter, but on account of the rain no outside work oould be done.

The. site of the. new station has a historical interest. It is practically the. lower or seaward portion of the old Te Aro Maori pa ; a rude sapling-ringed enclosure, that is generally shown in pictures of earliest Wellington, and it is precisely on the. spot that the Maoris were wont to pull their canoes up on the beach, and squat on their haunches "looking lazy at the sea" (to quote Kipling), that the new building is to be erected. The section is a large one. It has a frontage of 64ft. 3iin. to Lower Taranaki Street by a depth of 180 ft.. (extending . Tight back to the Stewart Timber and Hardware Co.'s yard). The buildings to be erected consist- of. three in all—the two-storied brick station on the street front, a group of connected cells on the northern side of the section at the rear, and right at the back, extensive stable and loft accommodation (as it is intended to make this station the headquarters in Wellington "of the Mounted Constabulary). The rest of the area, will form big police and stable yards (undivided). The station stands on solid foundationSj built deep enough to provide extenmve cellar and storage accommodation. The elevation will be finished in red-pressed brick above the first floor and cement belowj it will-have a central entrance admitting to the various offices, and a cart entrance (on the south side), 10ft. 6in. in width, admitting to the yards at the rear. On the ground floor in front are provided rooms for the sergeant-in-charge, other sergeants and detectives,. and behind a room, for the constables, a watch-house (for the clerk in charge), a uniform room, and an apartment in which persons arrested will" be searched before being placed in the cells—seven rooms in all. On the first or upper floor are sleeping apartments for two unmarried sergeants, five cubicles for constables, a sergeants' sitting, room, and a bath room, and a library sufficiently large to accommodate a billiard table.

.In the yard at the back entirely out of sight from the street provision is made for five solidly-built brick cells on the ground floor, and five on the second floor. Eight of these ton cells measure 10ft. by Bft., and the other two (to bo padded) will enclose a'space 14ft. by Bft. each. There' are also small enclosed yards for male and female prisoners. Further back still a. fine briok stable is to.be erected, containing six stalls and six loose boxes, with every facility in the way of up-to-date drainage and The upper portion of the building will be used as a loft for the storage of horse-feed, etc., and a harness room is also provided. The work, .which is to he done by day labour, is expected to take from sis to nine months to complete. •