Brian Rudman: Sir Bob could right this old wrong

Illustration / Peter Bromhead

Built in the ‘get-rich-quick’ days of Rogernomics, the Big Pinky’s developers broke a key promise to the city

If I were a collector of commercial properties like Bob Jones, I'd have lusted after the Fay Richwhite "Big Pinky" as the missing trophy in my display cabinet too. Number 151 Queen St is a true trophy building like few others in downtown Auckland, epitomising the swashbuckling arrogance of the pre-crash 1980s.

Nearly 30 years on, it still struts its stuff, chest puffed out to the world, even though the bankers have long moved on.

To me, it has always been the Big Pinky, reflecting both a three-digit salute to the world by the get-rich-quick beneficiaries of Rogernomics, and the 10,000sq m of Argentine "light red dragon" granite with which it was clad. The bankers, I recall, preferred the less judgmental 151 Queen St.

Not, it seems, that this is what drove Sir Bob to hand over $97 million this week. The big softy bought it because "it's the prettiest building in New Zealand", one which he'd "admired for a long time".

Pretty is not a word I would have used. The Oxford online dictionary defines it as "attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful or handsome". Handsome yes, as in "striking" and "imposing".

But back to Sir Bob, who says he has a number of plans for his newest acquisition.

Could I suggest one possibility would be to go back to the May 1985 planning permission and reinstate the 40-child public creche that was the highlight of a bundle of bonus-earning community facilities, that the original developers agreed to provide. In return, a grateful Auckland City Council permitted the building to rise nearly twice as high as the 55m height zoning restriction. If Sir Bob were to do that, I'll happily concede the Big Pink's pretty side.

The building's life as a three-fingered salute to the city began at the planning stage. All sorts of enticement would be offered by the developers to get the extra floor space. In return for demolishing the ornate historic ladies public toilets under Wyndham St -- the bankers didn't want their palace blighted by a nest of public dunnies -- the new building would accommodate 24-hour public loos, accessible by a discreet side entrance.

Also on offer was public carparking, the creche, a large public plaza atop the podium level of the tower block, and a minimum of 1900sq m -- three floors -- set aside permanently for travellers' residential accommodation. The "public" plaza was to include tennis courts and a swimming pool.

Auckland City agreed these "desirable facilities" were "in the public interest", making the new building "an attractive asset to the CBD". As a reward, it agreed to bonus floor space, meaning the building could rise to 105m, almost double the permitted zone height. That was in June 1985.

However, by December 1987 with the building nearing completion, the developers told council the creche was too hard, they wanted to replace it with a "non-residential club". They also sought to reduce the proposed travellers' accommodation to just 398sq m, about a fifth of the size they'd agreed to. Real estate advertising for tenants at the time revealed that the so-called "public" plaza, with its tennis courts, pools and gymnasium were in fact for the exclusive use of tenants.

The council's senior planner, John Duthie, in his report to councillors expressed "some disappointment" at the loss of the creche, but admitted to councillors the developers had them over a barrel. The planning laws allowed the developer to kick out the kids and build a gentlemen's club and bar instead.

Alterations to the council's bonus system rules meant the three floors of accommodation were also probably doomed if the developers pressed the issue.

Bravely, the politicians conceded the travellers' accommodation was a lost cause, but dug their toes in on the creche. "The owner should not expect to be released from their obligations in respect of the creche," said planning hearing chairman, Bob Johnson.

Unrepentant, Fay Richwhite and co-developers NZI Corporation appealed to the Planning Tribunal. In November 1988, a settlement was reached.

Instead of the creche, the developers agreed to provide more public toilets, a walkway into the adjacent complex and pay for the establishment of a council creche -- long since closed -- in the Ellen Melville Hall in High St.

Which leaves a gap in the market the Big Pinky could well use to right old wrongs and show off its pretty side.