Heritage building gets council grant
The Christchurch City Council has approved a $333,000 grant to help save one of Lyttelton’s landmark buildings.
The owners of the old Harbour Board building on the corner of Oxford St and Norwich Quay will use the money to retain the ornate brick and plaster facade on the ground floor.
The Venetian Gothic-style building, designed in 1879 by Christchurch architect Frederick Strouts, was still standing following Canterbury’s earthquakes, but suffered severe damage.
Its upper level, including the parapet and the roof, had to be removed.
Owners Water Qual Ltd planned to build a new first floor, and the council grant would cover 40 per cent of the cost of the conservation and restoration work.
Cr Andrew Turner said it was a key building on Norwich Quay, which could be argued as being Canterbury’s original main street.
The council grant would allow the building to be preserved, supporting the visible and economic recovery of Lyttelton, Turner said.
The Lyttelton Harbour Board occupied the Norwich Quay building from 1880 until 1962. During that time, the ground floor had a reading room for visiting captains and the first floor contained the board room.
After the board moved out of the building in 1962, it was used first for storage by the railways before being renovated in the mid1980s for commercial use.
It was home to a cafe and offices immediately before the quakes.