Rounding up the rest

What is the status of some of the other central city heritage buildings in private hands?

Peterborough Apartments, 25 Peterborough St:

Once Christchurch’s Teachers’ Training College, this 1920s neoGothic building was turned into apartments in the late 1990s.

Following the earthquakes, the body corporate looked like being forced into demolition. But US earthquake construction specialist Ceres stepped in with plans to spend $25 million on its restoration.

Ceres NZ manager, Bernie deVere, admits the firm became emotionally invested after being called in to consult by the body corporate. ‘‘Little did we know how much work it was going to involve.’’

DeVere says there is still the usual court battle with the insurers holding up the project. But if a settlement can be reached in the next few months, Peterborough Apartments could be rebuilt within another three years.

Victoria Mansions, 91 Victoria St:

Another project to fall into Ceres’ lap is the four storey Art Deco apartment block directly across the road from the Peterborough Apartments in Victoria St.

DeVere says this again is snared in an insurance wrangle. However Ceres has put plans in for consent and workers have been stripping it out, removing some of the heavier internal walls and disused chimneys, in preparation for relevelling.

‘‘I hate to put a deadline date on it being finished, but probably 18 months,’’ deVere says.

State Insurance building, 116 Worcester St:

This 10 storey Art Deco office block incorporating Maori motifs was designed by Cecil Wood and completed in 1935.

Owned by State Insurance, it was bought by Christchurch motorcycle inventor John Britten and was being used as the Design and Arts College just before the earthquakes.

Britten’s widow, Kirsteen Britten, says the insurance claim is still to be settled. And in hindsight, it might have been better to cash up, let the building go, put the money into Auckland or Sydney.

‘‘But she’s a really grand and beautiful old lady,’’ says Britten. So depending on the settlement and the ability to secure a tenant, the plan is still to save the office block if possible.

Isaac House, 779 Colombo St:

Formerly the National Bank, this four-storey Georgian revival building looking across to Victoria Sq was constructed in 1926 and owned by the late Diana Lady Isaac’s trust.

Restoration was looking too expensive. But Auckland developers, Patrick Fontein and Paul Naylor, took it on in 2015 with covenants to protect its heritage look.

Fontein says another heritage project, the Dux Central in Poplar St, has already proved successful for the pair.

He says Isaac House will have a new slate roof, repaired wooden windows, and a somewhat toned down cream exterior more like the original. The top three floors will be offices, the ground floor hospitality.

‘‘The scaffolding comes down in a month.’’ So the public will soon see the results of their efforts, Fontein says.