CITY ENTERPRISE. THE LYALL BAY PURCHASE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 40, 17 February 1911, Page 7

CITY ENTERPRISE. THE LYALL BAY PURCHASE.

iNEW, DEPARTURE IN TRAMWAY WORK. As a result of a purchase which the City Council has made at Lyall Bay, the municipality will be in possession of an. area of Jand fronting the beach for a future recreation ground, and' an adjoining section where most of the tramway constructional work will be carried out. in the future. The Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford) explained to a representative of this paper to-day_ that the council, in addition to the eight acres which it already owns at Lyall Bay, has .succeeded in obtaining twelve acres adjoining from the Lrovernment ia consideration of the concessions it has made in respect of the new Parliamentary building scheme, particularly with regard to the closing of Syd-ney-street. The council finds that it has not got sufficient room in the Newtown car sheds to accommodate the trams and carry out ■the repairing work there. Accordingly the Electrical Engineer (Mr, Richardson) asked for more ,land, and the City 'Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) staled. 1 (that land was also required for cospora<tion yards. At the present time some of ithft corporation's plant m use on the Evans Bay side of the city is kept in the j Jfilbirnie Recreation Ground aad some'i is kept on the streets lighted at night. The city now owns some land in Kil- j birnie which was bought a little while ago, and an attempt was made to pur-, chase 4£ acres adjoining, but the owner esked £2500. It was then suggested that a piece of land adjoining tie city's reserve at Lyall 'Bay should be purchased, and protracted negotiations ended in the council securing ten acres for £1600. Thus the council iwas able to secure a much larger area of land at a much lesser price than -tvould have been the case if it had closed for the Kilbirnie property. This latter will now be probably sold. Out of the thirty acres which the council now owns at Lyall Bay. over twenty jecres (an exact square) will be reserved, for a recreation ground and the balance (will be divided by a road, down which a tramway loop will run to the recreation ground. One-half of the section will be /used as a corporation yard, and on the other half will be erected new ear and par-btiilding sheds. Here ail new cars which the council included in its tramway programme will (be built. The annual overhaul of the cam will also be carried out at Lvall (Bay. Leseer repairs will be effected* at iNewtown. The only condition the Government lhas made in respect of the land which it (has ceded to the council is that the rejcreation ground is to be available for jmilitary displays when required.