Saturday, July 17, 2004
The 6,000 square metres (nought point 59 hectares or almost one-and-a-half acres) includes the iconic former Hotel St George building on the corner of Willis and Boulcott streets.
The sale is good news for Wellington city which can look forward to the development of the inner city site as well as a new look for the University’s Wellington campus in Buckle and Wallace streets. The money from the sale of the properties will be reinvested in new developments and enhancements at the campus.
The properties run from street frontage on Willis Street and Boulcott Street up to the Terrace Gardens, including Flagstaff Hill. Some of the land is currently in use as car parks. The former hotel building is currently used by the University as hostel accommodation, providing around 150 beds for Massey students.
However Wellington Business Services Registrar Liam Halpin says 1000 new beds for students, closer to the campus heart, have been developed since 2000 and provide more convenient and much better quality accommodation for Massey students. The accommodation is funded by private companies while the University manages them. The initiative includes 200 new student accommodation units in Martins Square, available this month, and a further 300 beds available January 2006. Students staying at the St George hostel this year will not be affected by the sale.
Mr Halpin says apart from making sure students can live close to the Wellington campus, the University is bringing most of its teaching activities into the campus area to create a vibrant, self contained university precinct. The University no longer has teaching activities in the Willis Street area.
As part of its strategy for Wellington, he says the University is planning a comprehensive redevelopment of the campus, including new library facilities and improvements to infotech systems.
- The Hotel St George building and surrounding land were purchased by the former Wellington Polytechnic in 1994. The University inherited the properties when it merged with the polytechnic in 1999.
- The Hotel St George cost $100,000 to build 1929 and was then the biggest hotel in New Zealand. It was designed by William Rouse, who also designed the nearby Majestic building, and still retains its art deco facade.
- It is a Heritage building under the Wellington City District Plan, and has an Historic Places Trust II classification.
- The properties are up for tender in three parcels. Tenders close 11 August.
- The Beatles stayed at the St George during their 1964 tour.