Red light turns green for $30m Erskine College housing project in Wellington
June 1st, 2017
A $30 million housing project at Wellington’s Erskine College has been given the go-ahead after legal issues with heritage groups that threatened to stall the project were ironed out.
The Save Erskine College Trust (SECT) and Heritage New Zealand have given approval to most of the development of the former Catholic girls’ school in the seaside suburb of Island Bay.
Under the agreement, developer Ian Cassels’ Wellington Company can start work on the development while further engineering, design and feasibility work is done on the main convent building and chapel.
Plans for the $7m renovation of the college chapel.
Although there were no guarantees and it would be challenging, Cassels said feasibility works would explore further options on how to save part or all of the heritage-listed main convent building, which had been earmarked for demolition.
If the main convent building can be saved the development may lose a proposed early childcare facility and cafe.
An artist’s impression of the new 96 townhouse development now being built at Island Bay’s heritage-listed Erskine College complex.
But the project will still include a $7m restoration of Erskine’s historic chapel and a refurbishment of its wedding/function centre and restoration of the Reverend Mother’s Garden, Cassels said.
Work was supposed to have begun in March, but a last-minute legal spanner was thrown into the works in December when SECT was granted an interim enforcement order against The Wellington Company through the Environment Court.
The order meant the developers needed secondary approval from the the trust to build the project, despite the non-notified 96-unit development already being granted resource consent by Wellington City Council.
The state of red-stickered Erskine College, in Island Bay, at the end of May 2014.
Cassels said he was pleased a positive resolution had been found and with participation from all parties a better heritage result could be reached.
Feasibility studies on the main building had begun as well as temporary shoring works for the chapel.
Cassels said it was hoped temporary strengthening measures could be done over the coming weeks to protect the vandalism-prone chapel from any further damage or risk.
Just before Christmas vandals destroyed religious icons in the college’s chapel, which will be restored in the redevelopment.
Works on the residential development will begin toward the end of the year, as over half of the titles were sold, he said.
Consent was granted by the city council under the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act, which stipulates a streamlined consenting timeframe, including a reduction in notification provisions and appeal rights.
Heritage New Zealand central region general manager Claire Craig said the proposed redevelopment will be significantly enhanced by the retention of Erskine’s special heritage features.
The $30m development includes 96 housing units, and a $7m restoration of Erskine’s historic chapel.
“We are pleased to be working with the parties towards producing a beautifully integrated adaptive reuse of these special assets and enable a rich history to have a dynamic future.”
– Stuff
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/93216324/Red-light-turns-green-for-30m-Erskine-College-housing-project-in-Wellington
