Notable Changes

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 279, 28 December 1929, Page 6

Notable Changes

NEW BUSINESS BUILDINGS Review Of The Bigger Works Of The Year SOME EXPENSIVE CONTRACTS

"Tbe cha nges tliat are taking place in tbe business quarters of the town are remarkable," observed a former Xapier resident to a pressman to-day. iu lemarking 011 bis inipressions of a Christmas visit to bis old town. Tbe gentlciiian eoneerned. who has been only a little more than a year awav Iron#' Xapier, commented on the amount ot replaceinent work done in many well-known buildings, and on the extent of the ereetion of new premises in different loealities. An inspeetion of different parts o! | the town just now, it oue ea ti carrv in | the baek of one's mind a memory of ! tlio different loealities as they were a j year ago, sbows bow mueb t'ne outlook j of many of the sbopping, business and j industrial areas has changed. Tliose ivlio bave gone about their j dailv life right tbrongh tbe year haA*e j seen tlie ehanges tnlcing plaee. and. preeeiving a gradual improvement on many hands. have not appreciatecl Avbat is in many easo.s a eomplete and striking transformation. Tbe ereetion of fine new premises in different loealities and tlie remodelling of otlirs in olher parts bas, in faet, plaved a large part indeed in boosting Xapier's building figures for the year to tbe l-ecord breaking figure of ovcr £200,000. THE NEW POST-OFFICE. j Most notewortby amongst tbese works is, of course. tbe new post-offi.ee at tbe eorner of Diekens and Hastings streets. This stnieture, a fine tbreestoreyed building, is estimated to cost £•33,000 and is timed for completion in June next. Tbe building AA'as eommeneed in tbe month of October, 1928, and in snrjirisinglv sbort time tlie framework was run up, giving an exeellent idea of the mas.siA-e proportions of the completed strueture. fJoAvever, delay later oeeurred in tho deliverv of tbe Coromandel granite AA'ith whieh the frontages are being faeed and tbe progress for a time was not as rapid as the contractor would bave Avisbed. JloAvever, diffieulties bave now been overeome and the Avorlc of eonstruction is going steadilv abead. The Oamaru stone and Coromandel granite for tlie faeings of tbe building bave now been placed in position on both tbe Hastings and Diekens street frontages. Tbe Avorkmen are now engaged in putting Ihe ornamental stone work round tbe main entrance and the eorners and tops of the building. The steel window framing has been placed in position and quite a small armv of workmen is now engaged on the interior Avork. During the year Sir Joseph "Ward laid the foundation stone of the new building and the earnest hope has been expressed tbat not very late in the approaehing year he Avill be able to perform the oflioial opening ceremony. Tbe completion of tlie new post offiee Avill signalise tlie ereetion of oue of tbe largest buildings raised in Xrapier for many years and Avill be conerete evidenee of tbe progress Napier has made in conimereial buildings tliis year. HANDSOME BUILDINGS. Quite apart i'rom tlie new post offiee, iiowever, there are many other line and expensive buildings tbat have been undertakon in different parts* of tlie town tliis year. The nuniber of four figure eontraets let this year is, in faet, almost legiori. The largest of tbese is for £11,000 for Messrs Triggs and Hindmai-sh's three-storeyed building at' the corner of Emerscn and Dalton street, Avork ou wliieh Avas only eommeneed a f'ew weeks baek. Xext in order oi' importauce in the business area is tliat- of J. E. Peaeh and Co.'s garage in Diekens street, als.o in course of ereetion, wliieb is estimated to eost £818-5. Many other buildings of beauty and utility, and also no little expense, lwe alieady been eompleted. Messrs Harston's Musie M'arebouse in Hastings street entailed an expenditure of over £5000, and other eostl.v new buildings are the new garage for Messrs Bate and Bell (Clive Square) £5250, Diocesan Hall in St. John's Cathedral grounds £57 85, Mr Hector McGregor1 s shops in Hastings street £4197. Several large Avorks have been put in hand in Emerson street Avbei'e there are, the new shops of Mr F. "Rice £3100, Mes.- rs Boyland Bros. £2250, H.B. Friendlv vSoeieties £2225 aiul Messrs Allens, Ltd. additions £2086. OTHER BUSY PLACES. Many other loealities have participated in the building booin, and their appearanee bas undergone eonsiderable ehauge with the costlv ereetion of new premises or tlie expensive remodelling of old ones. J)i(kens street has been something of a eentre of aetivitv and in that tiiorcughlare Ale.-.srs Stewart Xash. Ltd., spent £1371 in making some fine improvements -to their premises. James Motors, L1L, £1511. R. I.ee £1950 and Jliggins Estate £1960. also eari-ying out other inqiortanl; Avorks. Olher iuiportant additions deserving of nienlion are Parker's tliree-storeved buikling in Herselielb street £4188, *Mr T'- M illianis1 bloek of shops in Hastings street souili £35)87 and Messrs MeC niloch. Muller and Spenec's new offiees £1573. There bas been mueb aetivity at tiie 1 ort. pnrlicuiarlv during tbe M'inter moi'tlis, Avben many improvements ani j extensions were made to tlie wool I stoves. Ales^rs Dalgety and Co. earried out additions involving an expenditure of £8570. tbe X.zT Sliipping (nmpauv spent £6175, H.B. Farmers' Co-op. Assn. £2970 and Messrs AViiliams and Keltie £2500. Onee again the Xational Tobaeeo Company made an addition to its already fiue set of buildings and during -tlie vear erected a bond store at a eost of £4600.