Anderson House and the seven-year itch

How galling if after all the complaints about civic idleness, it’s now civic busyness that may further prolong the time Invercargill’s Anderson House languishes in miserable disuse.

For seven decades the Georgianstyled house had been enjoyed by the public not only for its art collection, but also for the environmental pleasures of the building and grounds

Then came the day, seven years ago, that it was closed as an earthquake risk.

Since then, well, the cause of its reopening has been pursued at something less purposeful than a plod, as other civic imperatives received rather more adrenalised attention.

Its state deteriorated. The further back you stood from the house, the better it looked. The Invercargill City Council had some shoring-up work to do before the doors could be reopened and a newly formed trust was waiting in the wings to take up the project of restoring it as a conference venue – the art collection to join other public collections and resurface elsewhere.

By last July the Anderson House Trust was pronouncing itself ‘‘itchy’’ for the council to progress its duties.

That itchiness must by now have developed into a hair-shirt experience, as baleful council reports confirmed that not only strengthening work but waterproofing, fire protection and access issues have been identified.

Meanwhile other civic projects moved around the priority list, creating the impression that Anderson House was meekly taking its place at the back of a long and slow-moving queue, frequently finding other imperatives pushing in ahead.

So it was heartening when an ardent wee speech from Cr Nigel Skelt last October persuaded the council to get cracking on remedial work, rather than drumming its fingers for extra funding support from further afield.

Actual spending on actual progress, he reminded councillors, had by that stage been three years on the council’s own budget.

The upshot was that some $1.2 million was set aside for work to be carried out this calendar year.

Tender documents were released, but council staff have now cautioned that with so much other work underway in the city, potential contractors have indicated they may not have the capacity to complete the work on that timeframe.

The present assessment is that getting the work done as scheduled will be ‘‘challenging’’.

The prospect of a setback is duly, if unhappily, noted, particularly in the knowledge that even the tendered work would still leave good deal of other upgrading to get through. For starters, a kitchen needs to be installed, toilets upgraded, and the ‘‘tired’’ general interior refreshed.

Any financial white knights that emerge to further that cause could expect more than a smattering of public applause.

What’s more, surely, as trust chairman Craig Macalister says, it makes sense for at least some of the other necessary improvements to be advanced alongside some of the work the council is currently tendering.

This has become a seven-year itch that sorely needs scratching.

The present assessment is that getting the work done as scheduled will be ‘‘challenging’’.