Renovation planned for historic building
A building in the heart of Timaru which originally housed the Union Bank of Australia, and dates back to the 1870s, is set to get a makeover.
The bluestone building on Timaru’s Stafford St sits in a row of building purchased by Timaru District Council’s holdings company, Timaru District Holdings Limited (TDHL), in September 2018.
TDHL chief executive Frazer Munro said work on the building would include earthquake strengthening, re-roofing and refurbishing first floor office space to include office spaces.
“There are five upstairs rooms and a kitchenette; TDHL will have an office and we’ll have another two to four offices in there and a meeting room.”
“I don’t think the rooms have been occupied for some time, certainly not in my tenure,” Munro said.
The building housed the recently closed Readers Book Exchange, and Newman’s Music Works on the bottom floor.
It sits next to the Majestic Theatre which is under threat of demolition.
The former bookshop, now with old street images displayed in the front windows depicting this section of Stafford St in the early 1900s, remained vacant.
The building was constructed in 1877 and was originally owned by the Union Bank of Australia, a forerunner of Australia and New Zealand Bank Limited. The building is unlisted, but is proposed to be given a Category B listing as part of the Timaru District Council’s Proposed District Plan.
Munro said a facade fronting onto Stafford St was added to the original building in the 1960s and 1970s.
Urban design expert and heritage supporter Nigel Gilkison said he had heard a rumour the work was happening.
“I’m delighted some action is being taken; TDHL has owned those buildings for five years and nothing has been happening. In general, it’s really positive, fantastic.” Asked for the condition of the planned office space, Munro said it was “remarkably original.”
TDHL was funding all of the work which was expected to take about six months. “We’re working through the cost,” Munro said. “The thing with older buildings is they tend to bring up something unexpected.
“What prompted this decision was that is a good building and location, and a good way to attract people.” Apart from TDHL, no tenants had been secured for the office space. Munro said tenants would be sought once the work was completed.
What happened to the vacant bookshop space would be decided once the upstairs work was completed, Munro said.