2023-07-07 14:18:20 +1200
To: The Ministry of Housing & Urban Development
Save all of Pt Chev's heritage Building One & realign the internal Gate 1 road!
Recently the Auckland Council granted a resource consent which allows for partial demolition of the historic Building One/Carrington Hospital in Point Chevalier, Auckland.
We call on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, who currently but temporarily hold the land, to ensure the retention of all of Building One for the following reasons:
- it is not sustainable to demolish a listed Category 1 heritage building (est.1865)
- the southeast wings for demolition (1900-1905) have high heritage values & features
- the Greenest Building is the one still standing there.
- retaining all of the building's Embodied Carbon prevents carbon emissions & demolition waste
- a planning and heritage architect peer review found multiple flaws in the consent
- the Albert Eden Local Board supported public consultation, which did not happen
- the solution is to redesign the internal Gate One road access around the heritage building
- it is possible to save all of Building One as a community asset without any loss of housing volume or development profitability.
- we propose the Zero-Carbon approach of retaining the entire building, international best practice & sustainable decarbonisation
- heritage precincts are places for pedestrians, not roads
- retaining all of the heritage improves the cultural and economic amenity.
Why is this important?
Solution vs Demolition: Our local and extended community love this building.
We respect its past & the aspirations of mana whenua and Te Tiriti obligations.
The Unitec/Carrington site is about to become an urban development of up to 3500 homes.
We support affordable, well designed housing, open spaces and amenities that can coexist with scheduled heritage and an alternative internal roading access design.
The building has had a history as a psychiatric hospital (1865-1992) & as the home of Unitec’s vibrant Architecture and Design School (1994-2021).
Our community trust's 2020 feasibility study for MHUD on the interim adaptive reuse of Carrington Hospital's Building One had overwhelming community support to activate Building One as an Arts, Creative & Wellbeing hub. Built in 1865 and finished in 1905, it has a footprint of 8500sqm, over 2 main levels, with 300 studio spaces including a gallery, library & café.
Partial demolition will remove over 600sqm of unique spaces that could have been used by community groups & creatives such as visual artists, dancers, film makers & educators.
This building & environs will lose its connection to our community if partially demolished. This is an important valued landmark and reference point for our everyday neighbourhood interactions & wellbeing.
We love the spaces, the ecology, the memory, the heritage & support the exciting opportunities to come.
We need your help to share our message with people who care about heritage, can influence decision makers & show that the new road option is a "win/win, both/and" vs "either/or" solution.
Join our Building One page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/318949932076119
Read more about our proposed solution here: https://www.pcset.org.nz/projects