TDHL hopes to start demolition of buildings in Timaru CBD by January

Tuesday, 10 October 2023

The buildings set for demolition include the former Majestic Theatre, centre, and the buildings to the immediate left of it.

A row of buildings in the heart of Timaru could be gone in three months and a new green space opened within a year, after the council granted its holdings company a demolition consent this week.

Timaru District Holdings Limited (TDHL) general manager Frazer Munro released documents to The Timaru Herald on Tuesday, showing the consent had been granted by the council on a non-notified basis on Monday.

In its application, which was also released by Munro on Tuesday, TDHL described the buildings from 101-107 Stafford St as being in a “very poor state of repair”, except for 105, which was described as being in a “reasonable state of repair”.

The company plans to demolish the buildings, level the site and create a temporary green space, with the aim of then selling them for a permanent development.

Prepared for TDHL by principal planner Kim Seaton, of Novo Group, the application said demolition was “required to enable geotechnical investigations to be undertaken for future building design, a detailed site investigation to be undertaken and better prepare the site for development”.

Timaru District Holdings Ltd general manager Frazer Munro. (File photo)

“The site is intended ultimately to be redeveloped. The future development of the site will be subject to a separate resource consent application.”

The buildings proposed for demolition, which were part of a $1.7 million buy up of properties by the council-controlled organisation in 2018, were “not well suited to modern commercial requirements”, it said.

At a Timaru District Council (TDC) meeting in June, TDHL warned the buildings could face demolition to entice developers.

In confirming the proposal to demolish the buildings in September, Munro said it would support the revitalisation of Stafford St, which includes a significant redevelopment of the Theatre Royal and creation of a Heritage Hub.

Nigel Gilkison, right, pictured with South Canterbury Historical Society president Ray Bennett, called on the council to put a stop to the demolition plans before it was too late.

Munro said the buildings were not heritage listed, and through “recent District Plan heritage assessments, did not have any heritage values identified”, and the green space was a “win-win for the people of Timaru”.

However, the heritage value of the buildings prompted Timaru-based urban design expert Nigel Gilkison to ask the council to put a stop to the demolition plans before it was too late.

Gilkison said the buildings were an important part of the town and should be “incorporated as an integral part of the current CBD regeneration plans”.

Additional information, supplied to the council as part of the consent application, showed TDHL’s estimated timeline could see demolition work start in January, with tenders going out this month.

The buildings set for demolition include the former Majestic Theatre, centre, which was built in 1929. The bluestone building to the right of the theatre will not be demolished.

The draft plan aims to have the temporary park open to the public within 12 months, and notes “if the grass is sown after mid-April it may affect the opening of the site to the public”.

The draft time frame was “subject to the Archaeological Authority being granted and contractor availability”, Seaton said.

“The applicant is engaging Underground Overground Archaeology to assist with the archaeological authority. The matter will take a while to work its way through the Heritage New Zealand (HNZ) Pouhere Taonga system.”

A report, prepared for the council by consultant planner Terri Winder, recommended the applications be processed on a non-notified basis with conditions, and deemed the effects of the proposal on the visual quality, character and amenity of the site to be less than minor.

Winder recommended fencing or bollards be used around the green space, and an “accidental discovery advice note is adopted”.

Some of the building on Timaru’s Stafford St which the council has granted a demolition consent for.

That specified demolition and earthmoving operations ceased “in the event of any discovery of archaeological material”, and the affected area would be marked off with the council and HNZ to be advised.

“Work may only recommence if HNZ (following consultation with Runanga if the site is of Māori origin) provides a statement in writing to the TDC that appropriate action has been undertaken.”

The application said 101 Stafford St was on Environment Canterbury’s Listed Land Use Register as a site on which a HAIL (Hazardous activities and industries list) activity had been undertaken. The property housed an engine reconditioning workshop.

“It is not possible to undertake a detailed site investigation prior to demolition commencing, as the entirety of the site is covered in concrete building foundations.”

TDHL volunteered a consent condition which would require such an investigation, and said if that indicated contamination, a resource consent would be obtained for further work in the affected areas.

A rendered image of what the green space will look like once the buildings on Timaru's Stafford St are demolished.

“The above volunteered condition of consent will ensure that the change of use to public open space does not occur until appropriate investigations and/or consenting occurs.’’

The planned green space will include planters with 3-metre trees, spray on grass, bike stands and park furniture, and it will be lit.

“The time frame for redevelopment of the site (beyond the initial clearance and geotechnical investigations) cannot be confirmed with any certainty as it is dependent on several factors, including the economic climate, site geotechnical conditions, council upgrades of Stafford St (including 3 waters infrastructure) and works on the Theatre Royal upgrade and new Heritage/museum facility opposite.

“However, based on the development programmes for those sites, TDHL anticipates that redevelopment consent for the application site will be able to be applied for in mid-to-late 2025.”

The council was asked for a copy of the consent application on October 3, but has not provided it.