Decades-old dairy headed for demolition
A long-standing New Plymouth dairy which has been empty for months will be flattened today.
The Wallace Place dairy, which has been selling Westown residents their morning milk and bread for decades, will be demolished to make way for two Fowler Homes town houses.
Last week a demolition team was stripping the building bare and today heavy machinery will roll in to demolish the dairy, an attached house and a separate garage.
Fowler Homes managing director Lauchlan Macmillan said the dairy had sat empty for the past year.
It was put on the market but didn’t sell so the owner decided to tear the whole thing down and use the vacant land for two three-bedroom town houses, he said.
The town houses were expected to be completed and up for sale in about six months, he said.
A number of people were curious about the project, he said.
‘‘Heaps of people have called in there to see what’s up,’’ Mr Macmillan said. ‘‘There’s a lot of interest.’’ He wasn’t sure how long the dairy had sat there but said some people who owned it 30 years ago had dropped in to bid the building farewell.
Builder Cam Shennan, who was contracted by Fowler Homes, said it had been a straightforward demolition aside from some asbestos found in the ceiling.
‘‘We had to get the guys all suited up,’’ he said.