LAND AND BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18657, 13 March 1924, Page 11

LAND AND BUILDINGS.

BUILDING IN AUCKLAND fc features of progress. |ig£:>- * fEW BUSINESS PREMISES. Fw'V' " ©--/demand for PROPERTY. mfi" ■ Building construction in Greater Auckad for the first quarter of this year gpßs. promises to establish an exceptional stand-.. Wifirß activity. The records of -metropolis I and suburban municipal authorities ' » 1 to date show an advance on the returns If* -' for the corresponding period last year, fit ;It is estimated that the value of build || fag permits issued by all the local bodies % concerned since the beginning of the year yi§: is nearly £300,000. The greater part ol M-. this total represents new premises for ■ji> i- commercial purposes. Of these the ma' ?||pyfjority are substantial structures in brick ,j/ . and concrete, all indicating the rapid growth of Auckland's mercantile business V* 4nd the definite rjvival of confidence and enterprise in trade and commerce. Si In the city area alone new commercial t'"-: buildings to the recorded value of over V 45250,000 are in the process of conuuctkra. Good progress has been made oy the various builders, full advantage hav Spring been taken of the recent long spell of I dry weather. For months past, indeed, 4 5 .very littlo loss of working time has been , ! experienced by artisans and labourers in 7 the building trade. Though climatic con- "" • ditions have been s less favourable this 0- month, so far, there has oeen no serious interruption of building construction. V jr. Construction' of Dwellings. | v 1 An interesting feature of the present <; -.. activity is the manner in which new ~f buildings are made partly revenue-produo i> ing while in the builder's hands. In many c%ses, as soon as the first storey v has been built and the first floor laid i.< down, and protected from rain, work u speeded up on the ground floor premises, which are completed without delay foi M trading purposes. The system makes foi a\' economy in enterprise. It also demonstfates incidentally the keenness of busi- §■ . ness in Auckland. As regards the construction of dwell- . 1 ing houses, notable progress is being ,maintained • throughout• Greater Auckland. &-■'« ,It is impracticable to estimate the total value of these buildings since there is as v-' V yet' no central bureau in j Auckland coin y . ( piling statistics for the entire arta or col 1 looting data of great service to' the bundiSV. ing trade. ,The. usefulness of such & Bureau is recognised, especially by real estate agent*, but the work has yet to ne organised. . - ;_ The principal municipal records, show /£V- that -the' applications for permits are -6? / ahead of the average demand. There is :\ r £i' good deal of complaint, however, about >* , j the delay, in obtaining loans granted by r the State Advances Department,' and - , ; Several applicants report that they are f ■ *•$ being hindered. in conequence . from pro--1 ceeding with their building contracts. Itappears that such delay is 5 clue to th* enormous demand during the past "sis ' ' months or ;so for;'. Government loans. If all the aplications ftir advances had been granted the bank-note printing press would require -to work overtime .to - supply the money. Mean while,! many appli- . ' cants and building contractors ; would 'be i,"- happier •if the loans agreed upon were made with less loss of time. , 4 \ The Financial Position. V •v Seal estate agents .»report that there is -- , still a good demand for properties with |v ready sales where and when financial con- ", r% {: r ditions are reasonably easy. Here again. l «' •" however, there is - some complaint, about if ~ the adverse influence of Ministerial opin--5 c>. ion as to the financial ' outlook. It is said , ' t that the Prime Minister's recent statef . ment that 4 the cost of : money was* likely to be high has made> it much 'more diffi- , colt to raise : loans for the purchase of *' iv dwellings. Lenders .-naturally., want ■ more interest and are quick to argue that the / opinion of the Treasurer rather justifies ai»; t' v - increase, "in view of the financial outloOK IS of the Dominion." MOUNT ALBERT'S PROGRESS v ' ' KEEN BUILDING ACTIVITY. \ THE,ISSUE OF PERMITS, : . -The steady growth and expansion of 0 , 5-2 Mount Albert was again in evidence at the latest meeting of the borough council, s w|en the report of the building inspector . showed that for. the -three weeks encred 'February 27, there had been issued 40 ' ! permits viflue at, £18,577. Included in ; these were 20 permits for-dwellings valued , at. £17,705, six for additions, £616, ; three .j : ' fot motor sheds, £80, and 11 for other ' V-,-Buildings, £176. In the previous three • • wests 28 permits were-.issued totalling ft " £13377. There was thus an increase ;of £5.200 in the three weeks. " _ | ' - Five subdivision plans were also ; approved. Several large estates have recently 1 V- f been cut up, and the good progress now rl , .being made, with the electric light re- ' ■>;. ' • ticulation, "as ..well ". as .< the extension drainage facilities, ' is ; tending ■' to bring this, suburban area into prominence from . a residential point of view. : _ It may be noted that the borough coun- •. cil adopts no short sighted* measures in ■ it« policy regarding control of - building construction. This .; was;' shown ■by its re- • - j •, fu&al of a permit to erect a; dwelling on a S~-l■' '-low. lying and /wet section in a flooded area. "The owner was advised that the ' ' ■ section must first be filled up to the road 1 -level with; approved filling. . , feSMsfi : ~- y ..y >, PROGRESS OF BIRKDALE. SUBDIVISION AND BUILDING. PLANS FOR BETTER TRANSPORT. U'-l'""' ''' There is promise of an attractive : " suburb being established at Birkdale, 1 l| over the hill at Birkenhead. Several : £■[+"'. estates have been 1 subdivided recently, and plans are in hand for the construction ' ■; of many dwellings. „ The most prominent subdivision war that of the Beach Haven estate, comprising 95 acres near the Birkdale,wharf. It , was cut up into about 300 sections and • ; most of these have been sold to prospec- * tive home-builders. The programme oi building construction in sight includes the erection of many houses, a . public hall and several business premises. '" ' ' Several bungalows have been erected at Island Bay, Birkdale, and the immediate prospects of further construction .are such 4'j . ■ that many property-owners are adyqeat- £"■ ing the need .of better transport facilities. A progressive league ' has oeen formed. V . Its first aim ie to secure an extension of . the present wharf, which was constructed ' some years ago at the expease of the sets' tiers. An effort was made some time ago •* to got the Auckland Harbour Board t< r - undertake the work of extension, but U " Reclined on the ground that there would not be revenue sufficient to pay for the •3 - v capital cost. The league ' has -taken 1 the '\* > matter up, and already, property-owners V" ,in' the district have promised to raise tit between £300 and £400 toward' the pro , ject. I« is recognised that a better system of' ferry transport is required and every «•§>• effort is to be made to'obtain it. :fit It is also the intention of the league to £ secured the construction of good footpaths in the locality and to encourage the cultivation of attractive , private gardens. There is simple soope for residential settle-, i' '-Went' and the natural' conditions are ex»::cellent.. v-V ' ■■'-v.'".'Yv.-J « v :

| Bradstreet's sale of oddments closes on 1/ -- Satmrdto/ " Ladies' all-wool tweed skirts !'" |3s lid each, worth 17s 9d.