Historic hotel faces falling into disrepair, court told

The Masonic Tavern redevelopment proposes 10 apartments and a cafe. Photo / Dean Purcell

One of Auckland's oldest hotels faces falling into disrepair, with loss of its historic parts, a lawyer for the Masonic Tavern apartments developer said in the Environment Court yesterday.

Matthew Casey QC said Redback Develop's plan to reuse the waterfront site and tavern building for 10 apartments and a cafe was the best offer going to keep the iconic appearance of the hotel.

Residents groups opposed to the plan sought complete retention of the tavern, he said. But they put up no alternative use, let alone one which was economically viable.

The land owner's proposal provided for the heritage values of the building and offered a return on money spent in redevelopment and conservation.

Operating the tavern had been uneconomic for years.

"These heritage buildings have outlived their useful lives and need a considerable financial outlay to bring them up to basic [building] code standards. The buildings have no resource value apart from their historic heritage value.

"The site is prime resource for redevelopment and to not allow it to be redeveloped would be a waste of this valuable land resource."

Mr Casey said heritage laws did not support a decision on a resource consent that effectively forced a land owner to continue with an uneconomic use: "The building will fall into disrepair and everything will be lost."

He asked the court to agree with Redback (and North Shore City Council) that given most of the original hotel had been lost to early alterations, the proposal was appropriate and a very good outcome.

A major feature would be restoration of the historical appearance of the original Masonic Hotel on the corner of King Edward Pde and Church St.

The hearing of appeals against Redback's approved resource consents began on Monday, but was interrupted while the Masonic Friendly Society and Devonport Heritage tried to get the High Court to instruct the Environment Court judge to step aside from hearing the case.

The bid failed and Principal Environment Court Judge Craig Thompson resumed the hearing yesterday afternoon.

In pre trial talks, Judge Thompson outraged residents' groups when he ruled that a fundamental part of their case - expert evidence about the archaeology of the site and original tavern - could not be received.

Claudia Page, of the Masonic Friendly Society, said the High Court would hear in February the groups' case to have that ruling overturned and their full evidence heard.