OLD POST OFFICE SITE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 15

OLD POST OFFICE SITE.

OFFER TO THE CITY* ]

CABINET TO STATE TERMS. TRAFFIC LINK PROPOSED. Definite terms for the sale of th® Shortland Street post office block to the Auckland City Council for street purposes have been approved by the Cabinet, according to an announcement made yesterday by " the Postmaster-General, the Hon. J. B. Donald. The Minister stated that until the letter containing the Government's formal offer had been received by the City Council he could not disclose details of it, except to say that the proposed terms of sale were not harsh, and a small portion of the site would be reserved for a post office. He was glad that, so far as the Government was concerned, finality had been reached, and he hoped the City Council would find the offer acceptable. The Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, stated yesterday that the Government's formal offer had not yet reached the council. "Mr. Donald and I have been carrying v on negotiations for some time," he said. "I know the terms of the offer, which was submitted to the Cabinet for ratification, but naturally they are confidential at present. The formal offer will be brought before the council as soon a« possible." Long Negotiations. The proposal to transfer the old post office site to the City Council in order that a street might be made through it has been under discussion for a great many yi'ars. It was raised, in fact, long before the present chief post office was planned about 20 years ago. The block bounded by Shortland, Fort and Queen Streets, and Emily Place completely bars the way of an alternative route parallel with Queen Street by way of Commerce, High and Lome Streets. Now that High Street has been widened it is only necessary to cut a roadway through the old post office site in order to complete this much-needed thoroughfare, which, it is expected, will have direct access to the waterfront when the site of the present Auckland railway station is vacated and subdivided. The post office site has a frontage of about 70ft. to both Shortland and Fort Streets, and probably the whole of it will 'not be needed for the proposed street. The negotiations continued over many years, chiefly because the price demanded by the Government was much more than the council was prepared to pay. A Venerable Building. It was suggested at one time that the council should acquire only a portion of the block adjoining the National Bank. The position, however, was complicated by the fact that the council owns the freehold of the Victoria Arcade, abutting on the other side. Whether the council will approve the price now offered, and the stipulation that part of the block shall be reserved for a post office, remains to be seen. The old post office building, which is of brick and timber, in a modified Gothio style, was built about 60 years ago from designs by Mr. Edward Rumsey, and it resembles in many details the Supreme Court, which he also planned. In later years the red brick of the outer walla' has been hidden with cream-coloured paint. At present the ground floor of th« building is occupied by the State Fire and Accident Insurance Office, the Labour. Department and a branch post offiec. The National Provident Fund has offices upstairs. The proposed route will not be ideal as regards straightness. The boundary between the old post office and the National Bank is opposite the middle line of High Street, as widened some years ago. Commerce Street is considerably off the alignment, its western side being about 70ft. east of the boundary mentioned. Traffic will thus have to make both right-hand and left-hand turns in negotiating the posed street.