Greymouth demolitions: Town ‘turning a corner’

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

The imminent demolition of a prominent old building in the Greymouth CBD is a sign the town is “turning a corner”, mayor Tania Gibson says.

As the clock ticks towards buildings needing to be brought up to seismic standards under new building standards, the landowner of much of the Greymouth CBD has started to move on buildings already abandoned by their previous owners.

Mawhera Incorporation confirmed today the two-storey Duncan Hardie building in Mackey St will be levelled within a couple of months.

“It is coming down shortly – I'd say before the end of July,” incorporation secretary Sam Wheelans said on Monday.

Until recently the old building housed an institution of the Greymouth dining experience, the Bonzai Pizzaria, among other professional and retail tenants.

A “full assessment” for asbestos was required first to decide how the building would be taken down.

Several other buildings in and around the CBD were also earmarked. Broadcasting House, next to Duncan Hardie, was the first to come down.

Mawhera Incorporation is under way with a new retail building on that site, opposite the library.

“There was a sort of master plan. We've started down from that end, working towards The Warehouse.”

Wheelans said the incorporation was still open to saving some of the old buildings.

“We might fix them up if there is interest.”

Meanwhile, the new premises being built by Mawhera for Noel Leeming was a sign of things to come, and redevelopment of the Duncan Hardie site next door was another possibility.

“We will do something with the Duncan Hardie site ... we will be redeveloping it.

“What we put there will be a discussion for upcoming (Mawhera) meetings ... We're trying to move forward.”

Becks Building is the immediate neighbour to Duncan Hardie. Owner Stewart Nimmo said he understood Duncan Hardie would be cleared “fairly soon”.

“At present our building, they're going to leave it.”

Another abandoned premises on the other side of the Becks building was to be demolished with the Duncan Hardie building, but was now being left due to the shared wall.

Nimmo said he still preferred to save Becks, but investing in it was complex given the land and the return on investment.

“It is a difficult thing; I'd love to strengthen it ... at present there is no decision. It would be fair to say that the future is uncertain.”

Greymouth mayor Tania Gibson said visible demolition and building activity finally starting to happen was heartening.

The Pounamu Pathway development, together with the new Noel Leeming building, and plans by the council to leave its current Mawhera leasehold site in Mackay St and rebuild on a new site are indicative.

“We're definitely starting to see progress with the major rebuilds ... One step at a time, but now we can see something visually happening. We're now turning a corner but we've still got a long way to go.”

Gibson said she understood a proposal by Mawhera Incorporation to open up a rubble site on its own land at Kaiata was also now moving.

But she noted the costs of any new building in the CBD was complex due to the land ownership question aside from the initial demolition factors.

“There's movement but it costs a lot of money to get those buildings down – that is a process in itself.

“I believe with Duncan Hardie there is a process to work through with the right people to do that.

“It is promising – I know when those buildings come down, I get quite excited.”

However, that was also tempered by grief in the community of a loss of the historic value of some sites, “but the owners aren't doing them up”.

Wheelans said the landfill aspect was being handled via a consultant on behalf of Mawhera and at this stage he could not say what stage that was at.