St James finds unlikely saviour
Luckily for the CBD theatre, the 29-year-old heir to Target Furniture has a soft spot for heritage buildings
‘Hot property’, it is revealed, is the nickname colleagues have given to Steve Bielby. “It’s because I deal with property but it’s a horrible, cringe-worthy nickname,” he says, not mentioning the obvious double entendre.
The 29-year-old businessman, who flats with friends in Paritai Drive in Orakei, Auckland, is an heir to the $50 million-a-year Target Furniture chain, one of three sons of founder Vaughan Bielby.
Bielby is not surprised to be asked about his unusual swerve from furniture into leading the project to restore Auckland’s St James Theatre. People are often curious about how the man working for a furniture chain got tangled up in one of New Zealand’s most challenging heritage restorations, he says.
Bielby shies away from the multi- millionaire title. “Target is owned by a family trust which I’m part of with my brothers. Target is a multi-million dollar company. I personally am paid a very modest wage for the work that I do, and what I do on the St James I don’t get paid for at all.”
He has been happy to keep his profile low, but that could change as the next stage of restoration work begins and the St James prepares to close early next year.
“My brother Brent is not involved with Target but I’m chief of operations and my brother Robbie is the managing director.’’
Bielby grew up in Bucklands Beach. He studied commercial law and business management at Auckland University, then stepped into the family furniture dynasty, working on major store developments in Manukau, Tauranga and Wellington’s Thorndon Quay.
“But retail is not really my thing. It never really was. It’s a pretty cut- throat industry, operating on really small margins, so I ended up taking on a lot through the property side of the business — fitting out stores, building new stores, dealing with landlords.”
He loves old buildings and acknowledges that his passion could be perceived as somewhat quirky.
“For a young guy, it’s odd. I’ve been interested in historic buildings
for years. It’s always been there.
“I’m a fan of not so much building something new but doing something good with what exists. When I go to committee meetings and heritage meetings, I’m always the youngest in the room.”
In 2013, he formed the Auckland Notable Properties Trust as a commercial entity to work first on the historic Airedale Street Cottages at 30 Airedale St in the central business district below Symonds St, where he plans to spend about $1 million.
Bielby has bought those terraced buildings which Heritage New Zealand describes as “a rare example of mid-19th century workers' housing in central Auckland which have survived from the first 20 years of the city's foundation”.
“Their best known contemporary is Old Government House on the university grounds. Structurally and in its layout, the building has been little altered,” it says, adding that the structure was based on British terrace housing.
“Its semi-detached form and rubble construction contribute to the building's rarity. The cottages are of a modest nature.
“The expansion of the central business district has left this domestic scale building isolated in an area of commercial development. The material used in the cottages' construction contrasts to surrounding buildings, however, adding texture and interest to an otherwise uninspiring streetscape.”
Bielby is going through the consent process to restore them and refit the building into “a really nice escape in the CBD, between the Chorus and Telecom buildings. These little cottages might be amazing as offices”.
George Farrant, Auckland Council’s principal heritage adviser, called Bielby “an avid heritage enthusiast, one who genuinely loves the St James Theatre restoration project”.
“Although he has come from a development background light in built heritage experience, he learns fast and has developed a keen empathy for the St James’ intricate theatrical heritage values, and is taking an ment tower alongside the theatre.
The family, who have lived in New Zealand for more than two decades, met Bielby through a mutual construction industry acquaintance and formed an alliance on the St James.
The Auckland Notable Properties Trust is overseeing the theatre, which has to be protected, though not necessarily restored, as part of the apartment skyscraper's resource consent.
Realianz intends to transfer ownership of the theatre to the trust and has agreed to match any public or private funding dollar for dollar.
Relianz will install lifts, disabled access and office space for the St James, which Bielby estimated was worth $10 million-plus.
Although the St James will cost $60 million to $70 million to fully restore, Bielby is confident that can be achieved.
The council’s vote last month in favour of a $15 million contribution was a significant step forward, he said.
A New Year meeting is planned with Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry, and Bielby says Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye and Labour list MP Jacinda Ardern are supportive.
A $15 million Government contribution could be forthcoming, but Bielby is guarded on that.
In March, the theatre will close for work which Bielby says will take 12 to 18 months.
Work planned includes a seismic upgrade, new roof, new lighting, installation of fire sprinkler systems, new air handling systems, new seats and replacement carpet, replicated by a mill in a custom run.
The theatre has 1980 seats but Bielby plans to replace them with 1700 slightly wider new seats, still across three levels.
He hopes the theatre can be reopened in 2017 or 2018.