AUCKLAND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13286, 19 September 1906, Page 8

AUCKLAND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

GOVERNMENT TO SPEND £10,000. The Government has decided to spend', ~ roughly, £10,000, upon public buildings in ; Auckland. It "is intended to utilise the .. vacant lot at the side of the present Go- . vernment Buildings fronting Albert-street. The front of the new buildings will extend along Albert-street like the top of the let- „ ter T. The buildings which will form the ; shank will be no constructed in order that light may be secured on both sides, and this '"■ i block of buildings will run parallel with '' > the existing block fronting Custom-street. "' Instead of being scattered all over the city ' the various Departments are now practically in lodgings, the Valuation Department being in the Strand Arcade, the Public Trustee's office in Swanson-street, the Deeds Office at the Police Court, the Public Health Department in Chancery Lane, the Agricultural Department in Jer-myn-street — will be brought together into the new Government Buildings, ' f and entrance by the Custom-street or Albert-street vestibules will give- access '.' to the whole building. Mr. John Campbell, the Government chief architect,- informed a ' representative of the Herald yesterday that the estimated cost _ .[ of the new buildings and other alterations would be £10,000, and that tenders would be called in six or seven weeks. Plans for '.'''■"; the work have been in existence for some " 'i years. :: * " ' '•%=»

Referring to the proposed new Police Court Mr. Campbell said that project was at present in the air. He had seen Mr. Kettle, the Stipendiary Magistrate, with reference to the matter. Personally he (Mr. Campbell) favoured the Philson section, opposite the Municipal Chambers, but Mr. Kettle thought the Bowen Crescent site would be more suitable. This site, the Government architect pointed out, was City Council property, and it would be costly to build upon it, owing to the drop from Bowen Crescent to Victoria Quadrant. If, however, the Court were erected upon this site, tho lower part of the building might bo utilised for some departmental offices that would otherwise go to tho new building in Albert-street', which building would not then be quite so extensive as is at present proposed.

Mr. Campbell visited the workers' homes at Otahuhu, and expressed himself as very well pleased with the progress made there and the type of cottage erected on the lots.