Historic Dannevirke building slated for demolition

The Carnegie building in Allardice Street, Dannevirke is slated for demolition. Photo / NZME

The historic Carnegie Library in Dannevirke is to be demolished "during this financial year", the Dannevirke Community Board learned this week.

Tararua District Council staff were working with Heritage New Zealand around a plan for demolition, the board was told on Tuesday.

However, this could not go ahead until the council had resource consent and that required liaison with Heritage New Zealand.

Democracy manager Richard Taylor said that the intention was to make the demolition happen and then make decisions what to do with the site.

The Carnegie Library on Allardice St was built around 1907 and opened in 1908.

According to Heritage New Zealand, it was one of 18 built in New Zealand as part of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie's programme to fund free libraries.

The building housed the town library until 1984 and was renamed the Carnegie Community Centre.

The council had decided nearly three years ago to demolish the building unless it could be saved.

Members of the community petitioned to save it and a Friends of Carnegie committee - longer operating - began looking into what could be done.

However, the cost and the timeframe in which to raise the money to bring the building up to standard proved to be too much of a barrier.

A former committee member was approached by the Hawke's Bay Today for comment but they declined.