PORTION OF CIVIC BLOCK

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 270, 13 August 1942, Page 6

PORTION OF CIVIC BLOCK

Building To Begin Shortly COUNCIL DECISION

Housing Staffs Displaced By Earthquake

Decision to proceed immediately with the construction of portion of the long-planned civic block in Wellington, instead of erecting temporary buildings to house staffs from earthquake damaged premises, was made by the city council in committee last night. The new building, which will be erected on the site of the old education board building at the'rear of the Town Hall, will accommodate the whole of the city engineer’s staff and the traffic department.

After the discussion the mayor, Mr. Hislop, made the following statement: “After considering a report from the special committee and after receiving further reports on the question of housing the staff while buildings at present occupied are being demolished or repaired, the council iu committee decided, in view of the amount involved and the time required) for the erection of temporary buildings that this procedure was not desirable. It was accordingly recommended that the ■staff of the traffic department should be temporarily housed in the lecture hall at Electricity House. As it will be necessary for a portion of the Town Hall staff to leave their present accommodation while internal repairs are made to the Town Hall, they will be accommodated in the newspaper and magazine rooms and possibly in portion of the children’s room of the Public Library. This will necessitate temporary closing of the newspaper and magazine rooms and the children will be accommodated in another part of the library building. Town Hall Repairs.

“It is expected that repair work in the Town Hall, while it will make the building sounder than ever before, will take approximately three months. As soon as it is completed, the staffs temporarily housed in the library rooms will return to the Town Hall and those rooms will be reopened, unless temporary accommodation Is required for the city engineer’s staff, whose, building wiil then be repaired. The concert chamber will also be made available, if necessary, for part of the engineer’s staff. “Because the traffic department quarters cannot be reoccupied and the city engineer’s quarters are definitely out of date, it has been decided. to proceed with the erection of a new building immediately adjoining the Town Hall, and at the back of it on the site of the old education board building, which will be demolished. This will form part of the permanent civic block. It will accommodate the whole of the city engineer’s staff and the traffic department. “As soon as it is ready the engineer’s former accommodation, which will have been repaired and made stronger than before, will be offered for lease. It is expected that this revenue will meet the interest and sinking fund, on the money expended on the new building. Substantial amounts will also lie available to meet the cost of all earthquake repairs from earthquake insurance. Mayor’s Comment.

“It has long been clear,”, the mayor said, “that the engineer’s and traffic department buildings are out of date and unsuitable, and it has been the intention of the council to construct on the present block a civic building to house all the activities of the corporation except electricity. Necessities arising from the earthquake damage will enable a substantial part of this plan to be proceeded with at once. The plan will avoid the erection of a temporary block to house displaced departments, a building of which the cost would be totally lost. It is expected that the construction of the new-build-ing will go on almost simultaneously with the restoration of the Town Hall, though it will take longer to complete. ’ "As the work has 'been brought about by the earthquake, we have received assurance that the necessary materials and labour will lie made available. The Commissioner of Defence Construction agrees that it is better to construct permanent rather than tciupoiaij buildings.” 1