Work on building advancing
Work is well and truly forging ahead to turn a derelict Port Chalmers building into a community venue.
After lying dormant for decades, the Sims building at the corner of Beach St and Macandrew Rd has become a hive of activity again.
Formerly known as the Stevenson and Cook Foundry, it is a historic remnant of the once-thriving shipbuilding industry in the area.
Work to deconstruct the 1970s extension on the southern end of the building began on June 9 and is now complete.
Now that the section of building has been deconstructed, it will allow for better access and make the redevelopment easier.
It will also allow Dunedin City Council (DCC) contractors to assess the surrounding land — particularly the stability of the bank and trees behind the site.
Demolition and the installation of protective barrier fencing is expected to cost about $60,000.
The DCC owns the building and has a memorandum of understanding with the Port Chalmers Foundry Society (PCFS), which has been fundraising and developing concept plans to convert it into a community venue.
Initially, the site was earmarked to become a carpark until the PCFS stepped in, driven by an alternative vision that celebrates history and invests in a creative future for Dunedin.
The DCC is putting more than $700,000 towards the initial part of the restoration.
PCFS Trust co-chairman Bill Brown said he was delighted with the hive of activity on the site and believed things were moving in a positive direction.
''It'll be good to get a roof on it and see the old foundry restored.''
Ultimately, the plan was for the building to become a hub for community use in some form, he said.
The PCFS has been working with architects and project management consultants to develop concepts for the venue, and has been fundraising to help bring the plans to fruition.
The Sims building was constructed in 1880, and then about a decade later, it was bought by partners Isaac Stevenson and John Cook, who ran an engineering company in it.
The business played a large part in Port Chalmers' creation and development, originally making simple appliances.
It later became the most up-to-date plant engaged in ship building and repairing in New Zealand.
As well as undertaking some of the southern hemisphere's biggest ship repair jobs, the company manufactured gold dredges for the Otago goldfields and constructed and fitted out ships for World Wars 1 and 2.
In 1989, the DCC took ownership of the building from the Port Chalmers Borough Council.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Work on building advancing
Work is well and truly forging ahead to turn a derelict Port Chalmers building into a community venue. After lying dormant for decades, the Sims building at the corner of Beach St and Macandrew Rd has become a hive of activity again. Formerly known as the Stevenson and Cook Foundry, it is a historic remnant of the once-thriving shipbuilding industry in the area. Work to deconstruct the 1970s extension on the southern end of the building began on June 9 and is now complete. Now that the section of building has been deconstructed, it will allow for better access and make the redevelopment easier. It will also allow Dunedin City Council (DCC) contractors to assess the surrounding land — particularly the stability of the bank and trees behind the site. Demolition and the installation of protective barrier fencing is expected to cost about $60,000. The DCC owns the building and has a memorandum of understanding with the Port Chalmers Foundry Society (PCFS), which has been fundraising and developing concept plans to convert it into a community venue. Initially, the site was earmarked to become a carpark until the PCFS stepped in, driven by an alternative vision that celebrates history and invests in a creative future for Dunedin. The DCC is putting more than $700,000 towards the initial part of the restoration. PCFS Trust co-chairman Bill Brown said he was delighted with the hive of activity on the site and believed things were moving in a positive direction. ''It'll be good to get a roof on it and see the old foundry restored.'' Ultimately, the plan was for the building to become a hub for community use in some form, he said. The PCFS has been working with architects and project management consultants to develop concepts for the venue, and has been fundraising to help bring the plans to fruition. The Sims building was constructed in 1880, and then about a decade later, it was bought by partners Isaac Stevenson and John Cook, who ran an engineering company in it. The business played a large part in Port Chalmers' creation and development, originally making simple appliances. It later became the most up-to-date plant engaged in ship building and repairing in New Zealand. As well as undertaking some of the southern hemisphere's biggest ship repair jobs, the company manufactured gold dredges for the Otago goldfields and constructed and fitted out ships for World Wars 1 and 2. In 1989, the DCC took ownership of the building from the Port Chalmers Borough Council.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
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Otago Daily Times
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Letters to the Editor: DCC, Ardern and tourism
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including open conversations about DCC funding, the carping about Jacinda Ardern's memoir, and visitor levies. Finance policy queried, the DCC offers answer At a recent council meeting a significant change to the Dunedin City Council revenue and financing policy was pushed through the meeting, without public consultation and with little debate. While it may have sounded like a technical adjustment, the implications are anything but minor and should be of public concern. The change specifically allows more spending to be funded through debt, as in borrowing even more money. Debt can now be used to cover costs that many ratepayers would (rightly) expect to be paid from the annual (operational) budget, day-to-day costs dressed up as long-term investment, funded by loans and added to the debt. 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Future Dunedin councillor candidate [Sandy Graham, DCC chief executive replies: "I would not normally comment on a potential candidate's public claims, but it appears Ms Twemlow has misunderstood the situation and I think public clarification is necessary. The Dunedin City Council has an existing revenue and financing policy, which has been in place for some years. This policy already allows for debt to be used to fund operational expenditure, including grants (you can find reference to it on page 221 of our last 10-year plan 2021-24). The changes introduced by council during deliberations on the nine-year plan simply clarify the parameters under which debt can be used in this way. This responds directly to requests from the community for additional financial support for the performing arts sector, and council's request for staff to consider the best ways of delivering this support. It is not a significant change and does not require further consultation. Ms Twemlow is welcome to contact our finance team for further clarification should it be required.] Well done Hats off to Duncan Connors for his fine and thoughtful article (Opinion ODT 10.6.25) on an assessment of the South Island in relation to the North Island. I often think that we in the South are the poor cousins compared with the north when their needs appear to be listened to and dealt with much more quickly than we "down under". Is the temptation by politicians to think that because voting power is predominantly in the north, they are given preference while we southerners have to go on bended knees? Dunedin hospital is a prime example. Politicians need to realise that they are voted in to serve the common good and care for all the people. Santana Minerals plan The piece by Jonathan West (Opinion ODT 9.6.25) brilliantly and clearly explained the effects of the proposed Bendigo to Ophir mine and what this will mean in the very heart of Central Otago. 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Despite general consensus that we needed to use the Covid pause to engage in a reset and choose quality over quantity, virtually nothing has changed. The QLDC mayor calls out for yet more growth, whilst Queenstown becomes disabled by transport gridlock, ever worsening affordable housing shortage, dysfunctional and inadequate sewerage provision, and environmental degradation in our rivers and the big lakes. The other main thing that this never-ending growth has produced in the region is a serious reduction in quality of life for the residents. No wonder the QLDC has ended up with a resident approval rating somewhere between 4% and 17% depending on which survey you choose to accept. Yes, we need central government funds to cope with overtourism, but even if we do manage to get funding for such things it can only be effective if it is accompanied by a complete pause on growth so that we can get the shortfalls behind us. [Abridged — length. Editor.] Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
