OLD POST OFFICE SITE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22449, 19 June 1936, Page 13

OLD POST OFFICE SITE

Sir, —In view of the deficit in the city finances, the economic handling of this most valuable piece of land becomes more necessary. Might I suggest that, upon the acquisition of the whole area, a building of distinctive architecture and worthy of this key position be erected to house all the administrative departments of the City Council, such building to provide an attractive and well-lighted arcade and roadway underneath, with ceiling height of about .'3oft., and flanked with small shops—thus reviving the old Victoria Arcade. With its consequent and important shelter from the weather, this arcade would become a valuable shopping centre, and would not only enormously relieve the Queen Street pedestrian traffic making for Fort, Commerce, Gore and Customs Streets, but would enhance the whole shop letting value of the Victoria Arcade itself, inasmuch as that building would immediately become an island block. A glassed-in well in the centre of the building should give all the additional light required for the arcade and the building itself. If the foregoing suggestion were given effect, 1 am of the opinion that the shop rentals in the arcade thus created would probably offset any capital loss entailed by the new road, and the whole project would become an investment. It seems to me that to provide such a short road open to the sky 111 this valuable city area is neither necessary nor desirable. J. Victor Macky.