Wellington’s Granville Flats to be prepared for demolition

Wednesday, 4 September 2024

Wellington City Council-owned Granville Flats are getting readied for demolition after the last residents moved out earlier this year.

Berhampore’s old Granville Flats, that housed generations of Wellingtonians, are finally to meet their end with preparation beginning for demolition.

Built in the 1960s, the building has been part of the city’s landscape with hundreds of residents having lived there.

The flats on Adelaide Rd were built on land owned by the Wellington Tenths Trust. The council has been leasing the land through a perpetual lease from the trust, and currently owns the buildings.

Wellington City Council is to start preparation work on September 16 for the dismantling and demolition of the flats.

Work includes the safe removal of any asbestos, and all built-in joinery, internal doors and floor coverings and will last until the end of March 2025, prior to the main dismantling and demolition works of the building.

In June 2022, council and the trust agreed to end the council’s lease of the land where the three buildings are situated.

The land will be returned to the Tenths Trust on completion of the demolition and removal works, estimated to be towards the end of 2025.

All tenants of the Granville Flats have been relocated to other housing.

It was part of the original Tenths Trust’s land blocks dating back to the 1839 deed of purchase with the New Zealand Company.

The city housing facility housed 144 tenants across 107 units. All tenants were provided with alternative accommodation.

The flats gained a reputation over time for social issues like drug use and fighting as well as being cold, and as far back as 2016 the design was called outdated and tired.

In 2022 the council had been considering the upgrade of the flats including seismic strengthening which would have required a substantial cost to the council.