[ad_1]
Ross Giblin
The Wellington Municipal Office Building at Civic Square may be demolished after the earthquake strengthening cost explosion.
Wellington City Council is considering demolishing the iconic Municipal Office Building at Te Ngākau Civic Square to build a new National Music Center, rather than going ahead with a plan to spend $ 84 million to strengthen it.
It is the latest blow to the Te Ngākau Civic Square, which was conceived as “the heart” of the city, but which is increasingly devoid of life.
The Central Library and City Hall on the plaza were closed in recent years due to earthquake risk and together they will cost more than $ 300 million to make them safe.
The council reached an agreement last year with Victoria University and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to convert the building into a new musical space, but seismic problems have sent cost estimates skyrocketing.
READ MORE:
* Wellington City Council Receives $ 38 Million Payment on Earthquake Damaged Civic Administration Building
* Wellington Central Library should be repaired, not rebuilt, staff should report to councilors
* Leaders share creative ideas to revive Wellington Civic Plaza.
After laying out a plan to strengthen the Municipal Office Building, the tall yellow building that sits between the city hall and the much newer pink city office, council officials decided on Friday to change their official recommendation from strengthening to demolishing the building. .
The design work required to strengthen and improve the building produced an estimated budget of $ 84 million, more than double the $ 40 million originally estimated.
Councilors will meet on December 10 to decide the future of the building.
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster said that rising costs made it unprofitable to strengthen the building without ongoing taxpayer funding, and the building’s age meant that strengthening work could not yet guarantee that it would be resistant to the earthquakes.
MONIQUE FORD / Things
The Municipal Office building, built in 1951, was severely damaged by the Kaikōura earthquake.
Victoria University Vice Chancellor Grant Guilford said a redevelopment could mean a better specially designed musical space and more liveliness in the square.
“Yes [the demolition] keep going, we are still very excited to occupy that building or another building in Civic Plaza to ensure that the vision of the New Zealand School of Music is kept alive, ”he said.
Guilford said he was “a bit cautious” due to the extensive processes and public consultation required before the building could be demolished, but promised to base the music center on the plaza, even if it was in a different building.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra executive director Peter Briggs said the National Music Center should be an “integral component” in revitalizing the square.
“We are pleased that the council remains committed to hosting the national music center in Te Ngākau civic square, whether the municipal office building remains, whether it is demolished and replaced, or other options present,” he said.
Last month, former Wellington Mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast said the square “has never reached its full potential” and proposed a civic center revitalization group to infuse the area with vitality.
A 2017 report called the area a “poorly functioning public space,” with services in poor locations, an outdated development plan and a leaky parking building.
Robert Kitchin / Dominion-Post
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster sinks into a beanbag during an event at the outdoor library in Civic Square, one of many activities that have attempted to revitalize the compound.
The Civic Administration Building next to the Municipal Office Building was also badly damaged by the Kaikōura earthquake and could also be demolished.
If both buildings could be demolished, it would provide more possibilities as a community to reimagine the Te Ngākau Civic Precinct, Foster said.
“It should be adaptable, beautiful, a place for events, music, entertainment, protests, celebrations, a place to enjoy and be proud,” said Foster.
“Wellingtons want the heart of our city to be alive and beating again, and I know councilors share my strong desire to make decisions quickly and get on with the job,” he said.
The municipal office building was originally constructed in 1951 and is considered an important building within the Civic Plaza, which means it will require the consent of resources to demolish it.
