NORTH CANTERBURY COOPERATIVE STORES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 13948, 3 January 1906, Page 5

NORTH CANTERBURY COOPERATIVE STORES.

The Directors of the North Canterbury Co-operative Stores Company have just let a contract to Mr 0. Calvert, of Christchurch, -to erect extensive additions to their business premises at Rangiora, at a cost of about £7OOO. The new. building will be of brick, two storeys 'in height, with a frontage of 58ft and depth •of 120 ft. The front elevation 35ft in height, is of bold and handsome design,. with white stone facings, and for the' whole length and height under the verandah there will lie plate glass, windows, with a central spacious main entrance. The*main portion of the ground floor will be utilised for the grocery, crockery, ironmongery, saddlery and seeds departments, and will be fitted up in the most modern and convenient way for the storage and display of stock. Along the main wall on the west side there will be rooms for the manager, chief clerk, auctioneer and grain buyer; and oh the south end a considerable space will be taken up with the main office. Upstairs, at the front there will be two rooms, each 28ft x 20ft, one of which will be the Board Room, and .the other a tea room. A movable partition will permit of the two being thrown into one for, general meeting purposes. The remainder of the floor will bemused as a show room for ironmongery, and for the storage (of surplus stock. The part of the old building now used for the grocery, crockery and ironmongery departments will bo considerably extended at the back, and will be utilised for the clothing, boots and furniture departments. The drapfery department will remain as at present, butthe removal of the boots and clothingi will give additional space for displaying the stock. .The upstair portion of the present building will contain the dressmaking, tailoring and hootmaking rooms; and there will also be a cutter’s room and fitting room on the lower floor in place of the present offices. Plate glass windows are also to bo put in the front of ‘the old premises. The lighting and ventilation arrangements will he as' perfect as passible, and the comfort and well-being of the employees has been carefully studied in designing the premises. There will be spacious and nicely furnished dining-rooms, cloak-rooms and lavatories and the whole'"of the" premises will be heated with hotwater pipes. A septic tank will be part of the sanitary arrangements. The contract- also includes the erection of a brick stable 65ft by 32ft, and other outbuildings. When finished the ndw building will be a handsome addition to the street architecture, and will provide the accommodation the repaidly expanding business of the company demands. Mr F. J. Barlow is the architect.