CIVIC CENTRE PLAN

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 269, 9 August 1943, Page 3

CIVIC CENTRE PLAN

Sacrifice Of Rent-Producing Blocks What will probably have struck most business people, and many ratepayers >n studying the proposed civic centre for Wellington is the big rent-producing estate the City Corporation- proposes to relinquish. The City Corporation itseli has just spent a large sum of money rcinstating the traffic office, a building that was practically condemned . after last year's earthquakes, while adjoining that block is the large electrical sub-station and store filled with valuable machinery, for which accommodation will have to be found elsewhere. Then on the Wakefield Street frontage there, is the old tramway power-house, which has in recent years ■'been used as skating rink and store, with Smith and Smith's large shop and factory on the Cuba Street corner. That is not nearly all the sacrifice the city of the future is to make to aestheticism. As the years roll on and leases run out, two other blocks of business premises are listed for removal. One is the line of buildings from (and lucuding) the Working Men’s Club to fetellins two-story building on the corner of Harris and Victoria Streets. In between are Bates’ building, Mackower, Mcßeath and Co.’s warehouse, and the Kaiapoi Woollen Company’s warehouse. On the eastern fringe of the block, between Mercer and Harris Streets, are those substantial buildings which terminate at present in the city engineer’s offices to the south and J. Hott Ltd.’s offices to the north. The •loss of the city engineers three-stoned brick block would not be a very great loss, as the earthquakes of last . year treated the structure none too kindly. ■Barring accidents, however, these offices (condemned by the last civic commission as inadequate for the purpose) may serve till the new first section of the new administration block is erected. On an examination of the perspective plan it will be noticed that the area of land immediately to the north of the Central Library, in Harris Street (at present being given a hard surface for the purpose of a vehicle park), is to remain part of the lawn and garden surround of the library. • , , A feature of the plan that will doubtless be commended is the manner m which the civic centre committee has kept in mind the artistic value of the vista from Willis Street. It will be seen that the reserve in front of the Town Hall is to be carried forward to the street reserve at the junction of Jervois Quay with lower Cuba Street, so that ample space will be available for a memorial (present war) which will stand in a central position on a line with the dead centre of what is now Mercer Street, and so be plainly visible from Willis Street. Nothing much toward the plan can be achieved till after the war. because of the manpower situation and the economy in building material which has to be exercised, but it seems possible that tbp first block which may be dealt with will oe that area opposite the Town Mall where there is only one big firm likely to be interfered with. Looking well ahead, other means than those provided by the plant now located in the electrical sub-i tation are being found to convert A.C. to D.C. current for the tramways, and no on, which disposes of the idea that n very great sacrifice will be made in the acquisition of thetfite of this plant in Jervois Quay. There are those in authority who believe it possible to clear and transform this block —the one surrounded by Jervois Quay, Wakefield Street, Lower Cuba itreet, and Mercer Street —in, say, 10 years’ time. Actually progress with the plan depends very largely on the progress and outcome of the war.

The United States produced 7383 military planes in July—a new high record — acording to the 'War Production Board. The output of heavy bombers was well above that of June. However. Mr. Donald Nelson and Mr. Charles Wilson, the vice-chairman of the board, in a joint statement, say that the plane production is still behind schedule.