Live at the St James, again: Auckland Council approves funding for iconic venue

The St James, as seen from Lorne St. Restoration is finally on the way. Photo / Alex Burton

The St James Theatre on Queen St, 97 years old and once one of Auckland’s premier concert venues, has finally been given a new lease of life.

Auckland Council voted today to commit $15 million in funding to the restoration of the theatre, to match a $15m commitment from the Government through the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage.

That arrangement follows lobbying by local MP Chlöe Swarbrick and a commitment by the arts minister in the previous Government, Carmel Sepuloni.

Theatre owner Steve Bielby said he was thrilled with the council vote. The ministry is expected to confirm its matching funding soon, and work can then start on bringing the Category 1 heritage building back into service.

The council first committed $15m to the project in 2016, when the building was forced to close. But the conditions of the contribution weren’t met.

The new arrangement, negotiated by the council, the Government and the building’s owner, St James Holdings, sets out strict “milestones” the owner must meet as the work proceeds.

Mayor Wayne Brown described the money as a loan that will not have to be repaid if all the milestones are met.

The proposal to approve the funding came from Brown, although he made it clear in the meeting he did not have high hopes the work would be successful.

“If it all goes pear-shaped,” he said, “and we end up owning it, we can knock the whole thing down and sell the site for a lot more than $15m.”

Chlöe Swarbrick, Carmel Sepuloni and Steve Bielby in the St James auditorium in 2023.

Councillor Maurice Williamson was opposed to the funding.

“Have we got a shortage of entertainment seating in this city?” he asked. He did not think so, noting the Sky City Convention Centre would be opening before long.

“And it is my perception that the arts and culture and heritage community are absolutely loaded with dough. Why aren’t they stumping up for this?”

Williamson said if the deal was approved, he hoped there would be “a blowtorch of accountability”.

Councillors Lotu Fuli and Josephine Bartley spoke about the lost opportunity cost. Funding for the St James, they suggested, would be at the expense of South Auckland and other poorer parts of the city.

They both felt that “South Auckland” doesn’t come into the city for entertainment.

But councillor Julie Fairey took a different tack. Williamson was wrong to think this was a project for wealthy arts lovers, she said, and in her experience, the St James was popular as a music venue, not as a theatre. Therefore, its main appeal would be to young people.

James Brown played the St James and so did Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell and Sir Howard Morrison.

Several councillors commented to the Herald after the vote was taken that Fuli and Bartley were wrong to think young people don’t come into town from South Auckland, and wrong to think they won’t go to concerts at the St James.

Fairey said the project would probably have a “grunge” feel. “This will pay for something temporary and exciting,” she said, “rather than going straight for a gold tooth.”

The council was told by officials that the funding will allow “essential strengthening and servicing upgrades” at ground level, but the dress circle and upper gallery will not be useable and “elements of the interior and exterior will not be fully restored to an ‘as new’ condition”.

The venue will have capacity for 900 people seated, or 1800 people when the seats are taken out. The council heard that this capacity doesn’t currently exist in the city.

There will be “significant improvements” to the Lorne St façade, opposite the central city library, but only minor improvements to the Queen St side of the site.

Speaking to the proposal, Brown said cleaning up the derelict state of the Queen St frontage was a priority.

The Queen St frontage is now part of an empty lot which is subject to a planned apartment development. Earlier plans had the two buildings – theatre and apartment block – being built in tandem, but the apartment project is now legally and financially “decoupled” from the St James itself.

But following discussions between Brown and the owner, Steve Bielby, it appears Bielby will accept a condition on the funding that the Queen St frontage is cleaned up.

Councillors spent some time debating whether it was desirable for the original tower on the building to be restored, as it marked the Queen St entrance to the theatre. This was unresolved.

Waitematā Local Board member Allan Matson had another suggestion. He said the empty apartment site could be turned into a temporary park: a square of greenery in the heart of the city.

Responding to the funding news, the chief executive of business group Heart of the City, Viv Beck, said: “As a long-standing supporter of the restoration, we are excited about the St James being back – to breathe new life into the city centre’s Aotea arts quarter.

“The St James has been sorely missed since it closed its doors all those years ago. We want a flourishing city centre that is rich in culture and entertainment for all Aucklanders to enjoy. The area surrounding the St James also holds some of the biggest opportunities for renewal. The St James will play a crucial role in both.”

The inside of the St James is currently in bad repair and it’s not known how long the restoration will take. But Bielby said he was thrilled. He plans to open the venue for “concerts and comedy” just as soon as he can.

Simon Wilson is an award-winning senior writer covering politics, the climate crisis and urban issues, with a focus on Auckland. He joined the Herald in 2018.