CITY BUILDING OPERATIONS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3646, 24 January 1899, Page 2

CITY BUILDING OPERATIONS.

BRISK LAST YEAR. PROMISE OF CONTINUED ACTIVITY. In the period from the Ist of April, 1898, to date, the Wellington City Council issued 467 building permits. The number issued in the year ended the 31st of'.Starch, 1898, was 654. Whilst this total is not likely to bo quite reached, the record for the municipal year, of which the last quarter has now been entered upon, will, nevertheless, be highly satisfactory. A good idea of the activity of the building trade in the city is given by the number of permits issued, although, of course, a large proportion ot them are for minor works and alienations. Many important buildings were completed in 1898, many are now in various stages ofc progress, and a largo number have been definitely (decided upon or are proposed. OFFICES. In the way of offices, the additions'to the architectural features of the city have been, alike in size and design,, of a worthy, character. The Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society and its tenants (including Messrs A. G. Taine and Co.) w;ent into occupation. : of the Society’s striking and commodious block at tho corner of Customhouse quay and Harbour street. Lower down Customhouse quay, at tho corner of Hunter street, is the elegant" building of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, of which tho Society and tho Bank of Now Zealand head oflico took possession. In Cour- . tenay. place, the Wellington Gas Company’s new offices are a distinct ornament. Offices for. tho Hutt County Council are going up opposite the Lambton quay Police Station, and the rising walls testify that the building, although not large, will, be of a substantial . character. Tho Wellington Building ana Investment Company have a block in course of erection opposite Messrs John Duthie and Co.’s bulk stores in Victoria street. It was last week decided to proceed with the erection of a block of offices for the Bank of New 1 Zealand at the corner of Lambton and. Customhouse quays, tho plans on which tenders were previously invited being modified so as to reduce the outlay, that-will be Am volvcd. ..... ■ i■: . PUBLIC BUILDINGS. _ As to public and semi-public buildings, most interest attaches to tho-ad-ditions to Parliament House, which are now being pushed on, under contract. Mention may be made of tho erection of ■the, Victoria Hall in Adelaide road, and • tiroiNewtown gymnasium. Additions to tho ’ Homo for the- Aged Needy were ■ opened by the Governor; and the Ohiro Homo has also had its accommodation increased. In St. Marie’s Church grounds a schoolroom was erected to replace the one destroyed by fire. A State school for. Rosoneath was built well'out on tho peninsula which j constitutes that rising suburb. Work is in progresk'at'tlie Victoria 1 Operating Theatre, -: 'Wellington Hospital. At the other end of the town, tho frame of a gymnasium has just been raised behind the new St. Paul’s Schoolroom iu _ Sydney street; Satisfactory progress is apparent in the 'additions"to the Technical. School in Victoria"'sti-eet: On tho. admirable site- ill Hill''street formerly occupied byvtho" Cathedral recently destroyed by fire, ,a. ,chuj- j c 1 h ll for tho' .-Roman .Catholic, will shortly .be , commenced. Tho now cathedral, towards wliicha.'snlnscriptions are being collected, will, ho in a more central situation. Thp ArimJ has decided to establish, a Myu’S Metropolc or a centrally-situated bmldiiig'"in', I tl^p ( " J1 J ) .ppd to erect a 'pfc alpo has otherplans in vie'ly,:lor fifty,lnf ’ttfeiise of its institutions, for -the rescue aind assistance of those nr h’obd HPUq'olw ’ill and.' near Wellingtoni’'' i )B6 , tli J,^few i (o(vi| and Petone. are' likely sion . Jyhffp/'liqst Office buildings ;' ! -and/jifcfty J p^^dbn'm*.A. permanent building'for, thp’Victoria Dpilversity College cannot long,-lie 1 'deroi-red. It is not improbable tliqt/steps' will^be. taken during this < ycar',=to! ’prept' a firfe brigade station' "adequate/to ments of the city. . .. J "tV'-'. :.■■■■ WAREHOUSES/..,/...h | ■

■ The' warehouse > accommodation:.,, of; Wellington- has been : groatiy, increased. There is,; for instance, the extension; of f Messrs. Bing, Harris and Co.’s block) in Victoria street; a thoroughfare that, is becoming noted for-the .modernity and size, of its buildings.; , Messrs; Kemp- ’ thorno, Prosser and Co.’s drug wai'chouso has been extended to Jervois quay;, and it now. 'has a frontage. to. the whole length, of Willoston .street. . .Tenders hare been called for a . warehouse for Messrs D. Benjamin and Co. on Jervois quay. - ::■_ : .OTEEB, BUSINESS PREMISES. ■ 1 i Of other places of business, Lambton quay has. received two notable additions. .Messrs Kirhcaldie and Stains’ largo emporium has had added to it a very extensive block, of which possession was taken some months since. Messrs H. C. Gibbons and Co.* ,seed merchants and florists, have just occupied ;the fine new building erected for them next to the large block which was during the year arranged as a wholesale and retail warehouse for the Wairarana Farmers’- Association. A block of buildings opposite : Grey street was purchased by, the “New Zealand Times ” Company, who took possession of iV after extensive alterations and renovations had been: carried out. : The auction mart occupied by Messrs Fabian Brothers and Co., Lambton •- quay, is new. Cuba, street is such a busy re- , sort that there is keen competition for sites in its seaward extension. The largo additions in Cuba street extension to Mr George Winder’s ironmongery estaljhshment were: completed during the year,' r So also wore Messrs S. Rowe and'Son’s produce stores, and Mr John Nicol’s. plumbing establishment. 1 An auction mart for Messrs Ritchie and Co.', situated nearer Jervois quay, is in a well-advanced state. ■ In Vivian street several shops were- erected by Mr R. P’Ponnor and Dr Martin, and have been let to tenants,; Between them and the, Salvation Army Barracks other shops arc now being built for Mrs Cameron- Additions to Messrs Wardcll Bvothors and _ Co.’s grocery establishment in Willis street are almost completed. Messrs Da,vid Anderson and Son are adding a large store to their grocei-y establishment in Moles worth street. An auction mart for Messrs Townsend and Paul is in course of erection in Harris street. It has been de-, cided to replace several wooden premises in Cuba street, owned by Mr G, M. Waterhouse, and recently damaged by fire, with brick structures. Tenders are invited for the ''erection of a three-story shop and warehouse on Lambton quay. HOTELS.

The, new Date of Edinburgh Hotel at tiie lower corner ; of Willis and Manners streets is, from an architectural point of view, wellvworthy : of the site. 'A permit has ; been granted for. the now Empire Hotel building, and the first pile for its Victoria street frontage was driven the other day. The re-erection of the Royal Oak Hotel on improved lines will be undertaken this year. Tenders are invited for the re-erection, in brick, of the Tramway Hotel, . on the ’ corner of Adelaide road and Drummond street . The two lastnamed hotels were, destroyed by fire a short while ago. W'OHKS ASS' FACTORIES. The hu*gc malt-house, with frontage to Molcsworth ■ street,- for J, Staples and Co. Limited’s brewer}', is nearly completed; Opposite Te Aro railway- station is a' new building occupied by Messrs Campbell and Dutch, brass founders. The; Wellington Meat Export Company has,’ during the winter and spring, made very extensive additions and alterations to its works at Ngbauranga. Besides increasing the capacity of its Petone works, the Gear Moat-preserving and Freezing Company has Iruilt another block of buildings on Lambton quay,

nest to its butchers’.- shop and office. On the ashes of his former works, ’Waterloo quay, Mr W. Chalmers has put up a roomy cooperage and' packing-case factory, not far from the Harbour Board’s neat-looking new hydraulic power house. A good start has been made with Messrs Turnbull, Hickson and Palmer’s printinghouse at the corner of Jervois quay and Harris street. E. H. Crease and Sou, Limited, spice merchants, have decided upon the erection of a new factory. RESIDENCES. To venture on a mere catalogue of the more important of the residences built in the city and suburbs last year would bo a task beyond cron the increased space now available. Suffice it to say that many of these are creditable in the highest degree to their designers and builders. Of others it would not he safe to say so much. Tho situation and limited ground space of a large number of Wellington dwellings is a frequent subject of criticism. In all cases the critics are not astray, but in not a few instances they are apt to overlook the peculiar conditions of the place, which put the skill of architects'and the resources of landowners to severe tests. Numerous residences will (m erected during the year now current.