Old Refinery building could be pulled down
About $1.4 million is being set aside to pull down the old Refinery Building in Nelson.
Nelson City Council has budgeted $887,000 to deconstruct the earthquakeprone building at 3 Halifax St, along with $500,000 for an undefined future use of the site.
The budget is included in the draft Long Term Plan, currently out for public feedback, and is set aside for the 2024/25 financial year.
The council says no final decision has been made about whether to strengthen or pull down the building, but an local architect says they should be looking at ways to preserve the 1930s building. The building has been vacant since 2020, when it was closed due to the earthquake risk.
A building is earthquake prone if it meets less than 34% of the New Building Standard (NBS).
The Refinery building was given a rating of less than 15% in 2012.
At the time the building was due for strengthening work over the next two years.
However, the council said the new assessment found more work was required.
The building had been used by the Arts Council Nelson for the Refinery ArtSpace.
The council’s group manager community services, Andrew White, said the council still hadn’t made a decision about the whether to strengthen or deconstruct the building.
“As the compliance requirement involves removing the building if it is not strengthened, we need to make provision for that cost in the draft Long Term Plan.”
If the council decided to strengthen the building, the cost would also be about $1.4m, not including fit-out costs that would vary depending on the needs of future tenants, White said.
“Any considerations of the future of the site will come after the LTP decision. Council had made a decision that the site should be used for Nelson’s art community, but the Refinery ArtSpace has since established itself in a new location and no longer wishes to return to 3 Halifax St,” he said.
The building was commissioned in 1932, and was home of the Nelson Tobacco Company founded in 1934.
Fineline Architecture directorMagdalena Garbarczyk said the council should be looking at ways to restore the Refinery, not pull it down.
“The Long Term Plan articulates Whakatū Nelson's vision as a creative, prosperous, and innovative city.
“There is nothing innovative about demolishing a building.”
The $1.4m would be best spent “improving rather than removing a potential asset”, she said.
Even if ArtSpace did not want to return, the building could be used as a space for local artists, she said.
“Instead of demolishing it and erasing another piece of history, the old Refinery building could once again be transformed into an innovative artist precinct.
“While it might not suit the increased functional requirements of the Refinery ArtSpace, it could certainly offer spaces for artist studios, accommodations, office spaces, and even much-needed city apartments.”
Restoration was an opportunity to showcase “adaptive reuse”, she said.