Green light to demolish

Karori Campus Jessica Long jessica.long@stuff.co.nz A month after Wellington City Council started talks with Karori Campus’ owners about heritage protection a demolition compliance certificate has been issued.

But council chief city planner David Chick says that does not change anything.

While the certificate meant demolition under the current district plan was permitted, Chick said partnership talks between Heritage NZ, Ryman Healthcare and the council were still under way.

That could lead to parts of the site being saved from the wrecking ball.

However, the council has already admitted it has no power to stop demolition. Ryman filed for the certificate of compliance from the council last month.

Its approval means that, even if the campus were to be given heritage protection in the council’s District Plan, it would be exempt for five years.

Chick said any move by Ryman to heritage list elements of the site would be voluntary and would mean incorporating parts of the existing former teachers’ college into a future retirement village.

He said they were still talking about what that ‘‘master plan’’ could look like. Wellington City Council has since appointed someone to help manage those discussions.

‘‘We’re serious about getting the right outcome.’’

The building has been said to hold outstanding architectural significance, as one of New Zealand’s finest examples of Brutalist and Late Modernist architecture.

Ryman Healthcare bought the land in December, announcing plans to convert the campus into a retirement village as well as hospital, rest home and facility with dementia-level care.