BUILDING FIGURES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 158, 1 April 1937, Page 15

BUILDING FIGURES

New Commercial Premises Offset House Decline PALMERSTON NORTH’S YEAR Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, March 31. Au almost 100 per cent, drop in the number of new dwelling houses erected in Palmerston North, stated by builders to be due to the uncertainty caused in this branch of the trade by the announcement of the State housing scheme, is recorded in the Palmerston North City Council's building figures for the financial year ended to-day. On the other baud, there is a considerable advance in the value of business premises and commercial buildings erected.

The aggregate total figures are £170,151 for 1936-37, against £167,452 for 193536. Houses erected totalled 69, compared with 113 for the previous financial year. The value dropped from £86,827 to £55,463. There were 200 permits of a value of £11.209 this financial year for alterations and additions, new garages included, against 118 representing £7172 for 193536. There were 11 permits for new business premises of a value of £52,050, against 13 valued at £16,085 in 1935-36. There were 60 permits issued for alterations and additions to business premises, the value represented being £21,657, as compared with 33 permits valued at £8524 last financial year. For new public buildings nine permits representing £22,717 were issued, the 1935-36 figures being seven permits valued at £28,853. There were seven permits for alterations and additions to public buildings, the value being £7054. Last financial year in this section there were 11 permits of a value of £19,991. 'There is still a good way to go before previous building figures are bettered. The greatest period in the city's history was from 1919 to 1931, with these figuresl9l9-20. £148,659; 1920-21, £224.262; 1921-22, £146.114; 1922-23, £168,171; 1923-24, £227,513; 1924-25, £261,267; 1925-26, £298,495; 1926-27, £320,760; 1927-28, £253,528; 1925-29. £278.407; 1929-30, £335.190; 1930-31, £189,164. The grand total for these 12 years was £2,851,500, an average per year of £237,630. For March. 1937. permits were issued of a value of £21,410. compared with £12.893 for March. 1936. A permit for a new theatre (£8500). five houses (£3626), new business premises (£4527), and alterations to business premises (£3221), are included. There are several large building projects which will swell the 1937-38 figures, such as the new police station in Church Street estimated to cost £20.000; a new wing and additions to the existing Public Works Department Buildings at CookStreet, costing £10.000; a new four-story building for the Temperance and General Mutual Society, next to the Bank of Australasia in Broadway, estimated to cost £20.000; a new four-story building in Rangitikei Street for the Government Life Insurance Department, to cost approximately £20.000: new post office buildings in Main Street, adjoining the present Post Office, to cost up to £20,000; a new two-story building with a 66ft. frontage and 153 ft. depth for the Waldegravc Estate to replace the wooden building between the Bank of Australasia and the Kosv Theatre; and a large building in Grey Street, of 146 feet frontage and 65 feet' depth for Abraham and Williams. Ltd. , , _ , Work was started on the last-named building to-day. It replaces that destroyed in the hurricane in February. 1936. . , A start will be made in June with the first batch of houses in the State building scheme in West End, the. total to be erected there eventually being 230. Some building on part of the convent property in Broadway is also likely.