Fate of building still unknown
The decontaminated Chrome Platers building could be demolished and the site turned into a car park or a link to the port, a Timaru District Council report says.
The 136 year-old Heritage New Zealand category two-listed Timaru building was the scene of a fire in a vat of acid that resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of people from the North St area in February 2015.
In 2017 the removal of chemicals and a site washdown in an operation that cost about $1 million meant immediate risk was resolved. However, in August last year the council said the building was still too dangerous to enter because of its structural integrity.
At the time the council was still deciding whether or not to demolish the building. Since the 2015 evacuation, Environment Canterbury has made three successful applications to the Ministry for Environment to remove the materials on site, and to continue research on the building’s structural material. However, a report prepared for the Timaru District Council’s infrastructure committee meeting tomorrow says although the council intends to retain the site, it is ‘‘seen as desirable’’ that the building be removed as practicably possible.
‘‘Should the ECan research project show the recycling of material is viable, further applications will be made to the ministry for funding to treat and remove the building material,’’ the report says.
‘‘Assuming the site can be remediated sufficiently to allow it to be used for parking or material storage, there are future uses the site can be adapted to. The land adjoins an existing designation area for the construction of a future bridge across the rail yards, to link North St to the port.’’
‘‘There is also an option to use the land for a future parking development in the event of the urban renewal of the South End of Stafford St.’’
The report says although Heritage New Zealand understands the need to remove the building because of the level and extent of contaminants on site, it has not yet given consent to do so. As a result, the district council will require a notified consent application.
‘‘The dismantling of the building will be subject to a strict process to minimise the possible environmental effects,’’ the report says.
They will also need to consider whether some of the building materials could be recycled.
‘‘There is a waste minimisation project at Redruth which may benefit from suitable materials,’’ the report says.
How much it will actually cost to dismantle the building is not yet known, but it is expected that ECan will continue to apply to the ministry for further funding.