VACATED BUILDING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24969, 11 August 1944, Page 4

VACATED BUILDING

government offices ALLOCATION OF SPACE

Although the matter has still to be settled by the-Government Buildings Accommodation Hoard, it is expected that the Works Department will occupy almost all the space which has been vacated by the United States Naval Operating Base in the Government buildings on the corner -of Shortland Street and Jean Batten Place. The department hopes that it will be able to shift from its present quarters iu p us " toms Street West before the end or this month. There are seven floors in the Shortland Street building. The seventh was designed as a cafeteria and the ground floor is shared by the State Fire and Accident insurance Department and by the Auckland Kast Post Ofiice. The Insurance Department bad also been given part of the first floor before the Americans took over most of the building in May. 1942. m „ It is expected that the Works Department. which has been expanded considerably since the war started, will require the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors, and possibly part of the first. Ho never, tins depends upon internal reorganisation of the Works Department, which is now being considered. In any case, it is thought that by the time the department has moved into the building there will be very little accommodation left for other departments. Some uncertainty exists about the extent of the move which can be made when the department is finally allotted its space. This is caused by the fact that two American activities, the Joint Purchasing Board and the Marine Corps Depot, still occupy offices in the building, and it is not expected that they will vacate their share before October. However, the Works Department hopes to make its move as complete as possible.

No dvr-ision ]i;is been made about the allocation of the space which the department will vacate in the Customs Street building. There is a suggestion, however, that the Department of Agriculture might receive some of that accommodation.