DISCUSSION | WLG Projects

greenwelly said:

Demolition work has commenced on 38-42 Willis street, (the derelict shops to the north of the Willis Central development.) There were rumours of a 4 story retail/office development a few years ago, but I am not sure what was finally finalised to go up on this site. - It appears that there is a council order for earthquake strengthening existing in place for this site, but I think they are going to just knock it down.

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Here's an article on the whole story: DomPost 22/09/2010 - History faces the bulldozer

And some background info on the project...

Dominion Post, The; 17/05/2008, pC12
Edition: 2, Section: BUSINESS, pg. C12

~~~~~~~~

Colin PATTERSON

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

MORE retailers in Wellington's Willis St have been given notice to quit to make way for another big development.

Less than a month after the opening of the new $90 million Chews Lane Precinct, Singapore- based Grand Complex Properties has told retailers on the opposite side of Willis St that their premises will be demolished later this year.

It plans to redevelop three two- level buildings it owns in a block from 16 to 42 Willis St, but the exact form of the development has not yet been decided.

One of the affected retailers -- men's fashion store Munns -- has responded with a "demolition sale".

Munns' director Barry Souter said though his store had not been given a definite date to vacate, the company had decided to sell its remaining stock before it had to leave.

Munns took over the site six years ago when longstanding retailer Hugh Wrights went into receivership.

Mr Souter said its lease contained a demolition clause so the notice to vacate was no surprise.

Another affected retailer -- shoe store Kumfs-- has been told it has till October to move out.

Steve Rodgers from Wellington Property company Jones Lang LaSalle -- which is advising Grand Properties -- said all tenants had been given six months' notice.

His company was working with them to find new premises.

Mr Rodgers said his client had yet to decide what would be built on the site "We're considering a number of options."

However, a commercial property source said it was likely to be a four-level complex, with two levels of retail and two of parking.

The source said the completion of Chews Lane had made Willis St a much more attractive retail location. Further developments -- especially on the side of the street opposite Chews Lane -- could be expected.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said council officers had held discussions with the property's owner. But resource consent applications had yet to be lodged. He said the site had a 95-metre height limit, which made it suitable for a high-rise building.

Grand Complex Properties also owns the Grand Arcade beside the site -- and the office building above -- plus the nearby Grand Annexe and a building at 80 Boulcott St.

--------------------

CAPTION:

Demolition sale: Munns menswear and other retailers on the site have been given notice.

deepred said:

Here's an article on the whole story: DomPost 22/09/2010 - History faces the bulldozer

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Cool. A new Wilsons car park. Or if Wellington is really lucky, a 2-storey car park building that will be "temporary". (What suckers, except those at the Dominion Post and the Council would believe that?) We didn't want bars or restaurants, or anything that might have class. Who wants character anyway, when we have some guy at the council who can tell us what has and what doesn't have heritage value.

The foundations for Tattoo apartments on Wigan St/Able Tasman are being laid will be interesting to see whether the paint stays as daring as the renders.

Does Anyone know the status of the Orion apartments on Ebor St?
http://www.boutiquedevelopments.co.nz/orion.html

Also was checking the archaus site the have a few interesting proposed developments,
no idea how old the are but if interested..
Check
http://www.archaus.co.nz/projects/project.php?pid=60
http://www.archaus.co.nz/projects/project.php?pid=17
http://www.archaus.co.nz/projects/project.php?pid=66

wiesen89 said:

Also was checking the archaus site the have a few interesting proposed developments, no idea how old the are but if interested..
Check
http://www.archaus.co.nz/projects/project.php?pid=60
http://www.archaus.co.nz/projects/project.php?pid=17
http://www.archaus.co.nz/projects/project.php?pid=66

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They seem fairly old, the project tagged 17, Aorangi House, was upgraded for Beca using a design from studiopacific.

http://www.studiopacific.co.nz/projects/office_buildings/aorangi

Te Aro Towers

Seems the Te Aro towers are making a come back.


From eye of the fish http://eyeofthefish.org/and-the-winner-is-archaus/
and http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/property/4191283/Buy-a-slice-of-inner-city-life

The facade directly north of Willis Central (34-42 Willis St) has been dismantled, and a couple of signs from Clark Brown Architects and Mainzeal Construction are plastered up on the public wall. So far, there's no info about the project on either company's website, and little further mention other than what's been reported in the Dom. I just hope it won't be just another parking building.

Does anyone know more about why this once pedestrianised area is being converted into a busway?

Before

Now

Before

Now

​

Mr_kiwi_fruit said:

Does anyone know more about why this once pedestrianised area is being converted into a busway?

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To speed up buses transiting the very crowded central city corridor. the jams for buses simply trying to head south out of the city was getting ridiculous. I believes it cuts about 2 mintues off the total journey time.

Not to mention, the area was essentially just a hang out for skateboarders and I was witness to a whole lot of violence amongst rowdy youths - was a major hangout for police at night and during the weekends. Essentially it was a windswept shared space that didn't work.

There was a campaign to save it, but frankly it was fairly unloved from what I gathered during my time in Wellington.

Not sure which development this is - just noticed the recent installation of a crane base. (Apologies on quality.)

I cant find any threads what so ever - so iamer post here (Hope you all dont mine )

Another

Seems the old Settlement Restaurant site has been in the news for the wrong reasons lately.

Asbestos causes halt to work at Settlement site
Last updated 05:00 22/01/2011

Asbestos has been found at the site of a historic Wellington building bulldozed this week, prompting the second stopwork order on the project.

It is also understood the power was left on before the building was demolished, causing safety concerns.

The demolition of the former Settlement Restaurant in Willis St, to make way for an apartment block, has already caused tension between property developers John and Michael Chow, the Historic Places Trust and Wellington City Council.

The trust issued the Chow Group with a stopwork order on Thursday, after the building was razed.

Yesterday the Labour Department also banned work at the site after asbestos was found.

A qualified contractor would be required to remove the asbestos, a spokesman said.

He could not comment on whether the power was left on, as an investigation was under way.

Under the Historic Places Act, developers must apply for an archaeological assessment before modifying any pre-1900 building site or face a maximum $40,000 fine. The restaurant's facade is thought to date from the 1880s.

Wellington city councillor Iona Pannett said the matter showed the need to speed up an inventory of heritage sites. "There are a number of old buildings around the city that some people imagine have automatic heritage protection – but they don't."

Resource consent for the apartment building was granted by the council in 2006 and demolition consent was signed off this month.

The council was satisfied it had followed correct legal procedures in issuing the consents. The 2006 resource consent said an archaeological assessment was needed.

"For anyone to claim they did not know, means they did not read the consent," Ms Pannett said.

Yesterday, Historic Places Trust regional archaeologist Andy Dodd said the Chows' consultants contacted the trust on Thursday, after the demolition was finished. "So it was a bit late."

The Chows could still face prosecution under the Historic Places Act, he said. "We're continuing to investigate."

Chow Group lawyer Max Tait said it was unaware of the archaeological site classification. "Chow Group's project managers ... had obtained all necessary consents from Wellington City Council to demolish the buildings".

The buildings were vacant and fire damaged. "To prevent further damage and public endangerment, and for eventual future development, the owners decided to remove the buildings."

They had "a constructive meeting" with the trust yesterday.

"The trust has received assurances ... no groundworks have been undertaken and there has been no risk of damage or modification to possible archaeological material."
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Mr Tait was not aware of any problem with the power being left on in the building. It had been without electricity for some time, he said.

- The Dominion Post





Nostalgia in rubble of restaurant
Previous worker shares memories
Last updated 05:00 22/01/2011

Wellingtonians have shared their memories of the Settlement Restaurant building, now a pile of rubble.

The Settlement was established by Wellingtonian Harry Seresin in the early 1970s.

Herluf Andersen, also a Wellingtonian, was its head chef, then co-owner for 25 years, till it closed in 1999.

Mr Andersen was sad to see the building torn down this week. "It was my workplace, my home, my kids grew up there. I guess from my view, I understand that the restaurant closed a long time ago.

"But it was a beautiful old building so I'm sad about that. But to be honest, for the past three or four years, it's been a real mess."

He had been promised he could claim some bricks from the site as mementoes.

"I am hoping to make a pizza oven in the backyard."

Co-owner Annette Maunder said the restaurant was ahead of its time, hosting an art gallery and craft market over the years.

She felt nostalgic when she saw it had been levelled. "But I hated seeing it derelict."

Sara Pascoe-Clarke recalled the site as a key part of Wellington's lively social scene, along with coffee bars like Suzy's, Monde Marie and Chez Paree.

"The Settlement was the cultural Mecca," she said.
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- The Dominion Post

Buckle St - WTF?

Has anyone else noticed the development going on in the site of the long proposed memorial park on Buckle St/bypass?
In the last month a horrible industrial shed has gone up with a large fence (towards Basin end). And outside the war memorial there seems to be a lot of ground excavations going on - with the removal of the cycle path, grass verge and removal of both larger and smaller Pohuntakawa.

From the looks of it they are planning on making an industrial park with numerous crappy tin sheds.
Whose complete lack of vision?hno:hno:

wiesen89 said:

Has anyone else noticed the development going on in the site of the long proposed memorial park on Buckle St/bypass?
In the last month a horrible industrial shed has gone up with a large fence (towards Basin end). And outside the war memorial there seems to be a lot of ground excavations going on - with the removal of the cycle path, grass verge and removal of both larger and smaller Pohuntakawa.

From the looks of it they are planning on making an industrial park with numerous crappy tin sheds.
Whose complete lack of vision?hno:hno:

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Totally agree, but I guess anything's better than the wasteland that's there at the moment.

Memorial park

So did a little poking and found this,


http://eyeofthefish.org/nothing-ever-happens-but-it-could-be-right-now/

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4750456/Buckle-St-park-work-begins

supposedly the upper 2 thirds will become a interim park and the lower third has become a (temporary?) site for the firm working on the tunnels. Doesn't look great but better than concrete. Why they reduced the footpath and removed the trees i don't understand.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stalla-Apartments/217716174910781

Il Casino Apartments

Finally getting off the ground...

Work to start on apartment project - finally

Another start date has been given for Globe Holdings' long-delayed apartment development on the site of the former Il Casino restaurant in Tory St.

Work is now set to start early next year and be completed in about April 2013, beyond the completion date specified in original contracts offered to people who signed up to buy apartments shortly after the development was first advertised.

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