SITE APPROVED

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 48, 19 November 1932, Page 11

SITE APPROVED

Central Fire Station CLYDE QUAY SCHOOL Experts’ Favourable Views The Clyde Quay School site, comprising an acre of land between Clyde Quay and Roxburgh Street, has been offered to the Wellington Fire Board as a site for a new central fire brigade station. This announcement was made by the chairman of the Fire Board, Mr. Noel Nelson, at the conclusion of a meeting of the board yesterday. After a thorough inspection by members of the board, accompanied by Mr. Girling Butcher, Inspector of Fire Brigades for New Zealand, the board had been so favourably impressed with this property that it had resolved tn approach the Minister of Internal Affairs for permissoin bo negotiate for its purchase, said Mr. Nelson. Members of the board considered that the site, both in situation and area, is the best of the many which have been submitted to the board during the last six month*. Many Advantages.

The advantages of the site, according to those with an acquaintance with the work of the board, is that it 1* very central. From Clyde Quay—which is practically the junction of that thoroughfare with the western, end of Courtenay flace, a fire engine could reach any part of Te Aro Flat or Lam'bton Quay in two minutes, Thorndon in three minutes, and Hataitai or Kllbirnie (via the new tunnel) In three minutes. It is also within a minute or two of any part of the waterfront from the Pipltea Wharf at Thorndon to Oriental Bay and Roseneath on the eastern side of the harbour. The site, too, commands the whole of the slopes of Mount Victoria. Other features which favour the site is that there is plenty of space for a large drill and exercise yard, and hose towers; that it is on the sunny side of the city, and the tramway line which traverses Clyde Quay—the Oriental Bay route—is not at any time a very busy one. The “get-away” in almost any direction is good. From the Clyde Quay front there is a straight run down Wakefield Street to the heart of the business section of the city. To the left on leaving the station there is the broad straight run up Kent Terrace, along Courtenay Place, or up Majorlbanks Street, while to the right is the broad Oriental Parade, which serves Oriental Bay and Roseneath. Should the Minister approve the purchase from the Education Board, and the Local Bodies’ Loans Board approve Die loan required for its purchase and ■the building cost, the Clyde Quay School will cease to exist after a month or two. Originally the site was a native lease with the right to purchase at a very low figure. That right was exercised when the lease was about to terminate, so the Education Board stands In a very good position over the property. For the last ten years it has been recognised that the site, for the purpose otf a public school, had almost outlived its usefulness. When erected a great part Of Te Aro Flat to the west of Clyde Quay was purely residential Grainger Street was a double row of small cottages, and even Courtenay Place was more than half residential while there were few business premises south of Courtenay Place in the Cambridge Terrace area. All this has changed in the last quarter of a century. This area has become entirely commercialised, so that the old school stands on the edge of a district of which It was once the centra* The Clyde Quay School site has a frontage of 231 feet to Clyde Quay, and one of 159 feet to Roxburgh Street. The depth, of course, runs from street to street '