Eleven heritage buildings around Wellington have jointly received $274,600 from a funding pool to go towards seismic strengthening work and conservation – making the Capital stronger and safer.
The building owners have benefitted from the latest round of the Council’s Built Heritage Incentive Fund (BHIF) with the Transport and Urban Development Committee approving applications yesterday.
The BHIF is a key initiative of the Wellington Heritage Policy 2010, and during the 2012/22 Long Term Plan deliberations it was agreed to focus on remedying earthquake prone features or preparing conservation plans and initial engineer reports.
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says: “Wellington heritage buildings tell a fascinating story and the fund is crucial for preserving the Capital’s past and securing the future.
“The Built Heritage Incentive Fund also protects people by making the buildings stronger and safer, adds to the city’s character, and contributes to the tourism and construction economy,” she adds.
The heritage buildings to receive BHIF allocations are:
| Project |
Amount |
T & G Building, 203 Lambton Quay – Seismic strengthening
|
$70,000 |
| The Albermarle Hotel, 59 Ghuznee Street – Seismic strengthening |
$60,000 |
| The former Tramway Hotel, 114 Adelaide Road – Seismic assessment and design |
$30,000 |
| 290 Willis Street – Painting, window refurbishment, reinstalling decorative detail |
$24,100 |
| 216 Cuba Street – Seismic strengthening and conservation |
$24,100 |
| The former St George’s Church Vicarage, 40 Ferry Street, Seatoun – Seismic strengthening and conservation |
$23,500 |
| Jaycee Building, 99 Willis Street – Concept design for seismic strengthening |
$10,000 |
| Wellington Harbour Board, 1 Queens Wharf |
$9,000 |
| The former Khandallah Automatic Telephone Exchange (KATE), 86 Khandallah Road – Conservation plan |
$8,800 |
| The Wellington Samoan Assembly of God, 193 Rintoul Street – Structural engineer’s assessment |
$8,600 |
| The former Boys’ Institute Building, 30 Arthur Street – Reconstructing original facades, investigation and assessment |
$6,500 |
| Total Built Heritage Incentive Fund |
$274,600 |
Councillor Andy Foster, the Council’s Transport and Urban Development Chairperson, says all the successful applicants made convincing cases for the funding.
“We have assessment criteria to establish eligibility for applicants, and these eleven building owners had factors that determined they would benefit from our support – and the city would benefit in the long-term.
“It is really pleasing to see and be able to support significant further progress in strengthening the city’s heritage buildings. This is a key part of making our city safer and more resilient and at the same time securing our collective heritage for the future.”
Councillor Iona Pannett, the Council’s Buildings Portfolio Leader, adds “If we’ve learned one thing from the past, losing heritage landmarks and buildings can be detrimental to a community’s identity, culture, and nationhood – which is why we will continue to ensure that our heritage value never diminishes.”
The next round of applications is now open and will close on 6 July 2016. Only expenses starting after 11 August 2016 are eligible for funding.
