DHB eyes Farmers building

The old Farmers building on the corner of Alexandra and Collingwood Streets may find a new tenant in the Waikato District Health Board.

Waikato DHB executive director facilities and business Chris Cardwell said the building was one option. "We are considering our future accommodation plans for the DHB. We can confirm that the Farmers building is one we are looking at ... but we are at a very early stage of the process. No plan has been finalised and the board has made no decision," he said.

The building is owned by Podium Investments Ltd, and company director Malcolm Barrett said he and the DHB were talking but there was nothing signed.

"I'm keeping my mouth shut because it's up to the DHB to say what they want to say," he said.

The process was still in the negotiation stage but it would be a lease rather than a sale he said.

Hamilton News understands that staffing numbers for the DHB would likely be equal to, if not slightly higher, than the impending loss of 500 IRD staff from the central city to Te Rapa, should the deal go ahead.