PROGRESS OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18963, 10 March 1925, Page 11

PROGRESS OF AUCKLAND.

BUIEMNfi CONSTRUCTION. QITY'S NOTABLE RECORD. WORKS IN BUSINESS AREA. FEWER PERMITS FOR DWELLINGS. Over £2,000,0va) has been spent on nfW buildings "and extensions in Anclehod during the financial year ending tin.. m ,th. In addition construction in band " | that for- which permits have been ' ~1 v , far this month represent a doValue of nearly £250.000. Three-fourths of the total building con,(ruction in Greater Auckland is actu,lty confined to the city area. Ibis may b0 surprising to those who are given t0 measuring Auckland's expansion by {| l( t evidence of building operations in the suburbs, whore tlTo clatter of hammers probably attracts more attention. ,\c a matter of fact, the city not only extends steadily, but is being more sub"stantially rebuilt. It is estimated officially that the value of permits for new dwellings and commercial premises in the metropolitan area this municipal yfar will exceed £1,500,000. The actual register of business to date makes that estimat„ almost an assured prediction. Building returns are far in advance of

anticipated results. Last municipal year the value of buildin,. permits issued by the city municipal department reached the record sum of £1 451.264. as compared with £1,180,473 itf'l323. This financial year the registered value of. building construction is practically equal to last year's aggregate with three weeks to run, and the application for permits is very steady every day. A new record is in sight. Value of New Buildings.

A complete record of building operations will not lie available until next, month, but a progress report suffices to show how enterprise is maintained in Auckland, notwithstanding occasional pessimism about conditions and the "eneral outlook. Indeed, actual conditions merely make the pessimist look foolish.

Tho municipal year opened well in respect of building construction, the issue of permits during April representing a scheduled value of £116.628. The issue in May was valued at £147.755: June, £7t>,200; July, £141,599: August, £87,608; September, £118,113: October, £75,150; November, £324.090; and January, £78.649. These gave a return for tho three-quarterly period of £1.165,822. The Inst quarter of the year promises to give a better average, the, returns for January and February having been exceptionally good, aggregating well over £250,000. Since January several contracts for substantia! premises have been finalised, these including the huge block of commercial buildings for Messrs. L, D. Nathan and Co. in Fort and Shortland Sticots, at a cost of £73,000; a building for the Southern Cross Building Society in Chancery Lane, £30,000: a factory for Messrs. Thompson and Hills in Victoria Street, £15,000; the rebuilding of Messrs. Guthrie, Bowron and Co.'s premises in Albert Street. £13.000; additions to the Maple Furnishing Company's premises in Karangahape Boad, £10,500: a new building for the Order of the Good Shepherd in Grey Street, £8000; and new premises for Cairns, Ltd., in Elliott Street, £6OOO. In addition to these, representing a total expenditure of £155,500. the construction of the War Memorial Jluseurn on Observatory Hill in the Domain at, a contract price of £183.000. has reached the real operative stage, while many, new public buildings and commercial premises arc in architectural preparation.

Trend of Expansion. By mid-winter it is planned tn make a.'start on the demolition of the Thames Hotel and Tyrone, Building, on the bite* of which tho Dilworth Trust Board will erect an eight-storey building worthy of the' unique situation, and of an attractive city. The lease of the hotel expires on June 30, and there will be no delay in proceeding with the new buildings, which will he faced with a special stone at great expense. It is clear that Customs Street East is destined to become a new shopping centre. Several warehouse premises have already been altered to meet the demand for more shops in the city, and there is prospect of a big programme of reconstruction throughout tiie length of the thoroughfare, which is in the direct route to the projected railway station. Improvement will not tie confined to Customs Street East. There is keen inquiry respecting new buildings along Beach Road. Here it is interesting to note that several expert traffic observers favour a movement in the direction of securing an additional strip of land for the widening of Beach Road, from Breakwater Road to the entrance to. the new metropolitan station. It is obvious that within a short time the traffic on Beach Road will be immense, and the time is opportune now for making adequate provision for the pellmell of motor vehicles and tramways along Beach Road in the near future, i his, however, is a digression. Erection of Dwellings.

An outstanding feature of city building construction during the municipal year was the decrease in the number of new buildings, although the total value of buildings promises to be a record. Permits for the erection of dwellings in tho city since last March total oulv 473, as compared with 607 for 1923-1924. It is expected that the aggregate by the end of this month will reach 500. So far this year (lie monthly issue of permits for new bouses has been as follows April, 30; May, 40; Junn, 31; July, 42; August, 45; September, 52; October, 31;- November, 55; Dec-ember, 46; January, 44; February, 47; March (to date;', 10. Last year in Greater Auckland, but excluding the North Shore boroughs, flic value of building construction, including 1610 dwellings, was £2,506,366. - Since 1918, the boroughs of Mount Albert and Mount Eden have trebled their annual expenditure on new buildings. Fully 60,000,000 superficial feet of timber is used in building construction annually in Greater Auckland.