New life for Wanganui buildings

Dave Corney of DML builders is undertaking the $1.5 million earthquake strengthening of two buildings in Wanganui's Taupo Quay, to ready them for occupation by the a government department.
His new company Quay 11 bought several Taupo Quay and Drews Ave buildings from Robert Bourdon three months ago.
Numbers 34 and 36 Taupo Quay are being renovated for use by the Department of Conservation (DoC). The department has an eight-year lease on them, starting early next year, with two rights of renewal.
About $200,000-worth of structural steel is going into the roofs, while new steel-reinforced concrete beams and columns will bolster the walls.
Engineers BPL Group and architects BSM Group and Bruce Dickson have all had a hand in the project.
Quay 11 also bought the building occupied by Christian Social Services Wanganui's Mission Possible shop. The mission had a month-to-month lease, Mr Corney said. That building was also likely to be upgraded.
DoC staff would be moving into the renovated buildings during December and January, Whanganui Area manager Nic Peet said.
The department's current lease on a building on the corner of Ingestre and St Hill Sts finishes in mid-January.
The Taupo Quay buildings will house DoC's Whanganui Area office, a smaller version of its workshop in Heads Rd and one of the two offices of the new Tongariro/Wanganui/Taranaki Conservancy, the other is at Turangi.
Dr Peet said there would be spaces for 35 staff in the new premises with room for numbers to expand to 45.
"There's no plan on the horizon that that's suddenly going to happen. We're trying to future-proof the buildings."
The buildings have interior parking for some of the department's fleet of about 10 vehicles, with drive-through access from Drews Ave to Taupo Quay.
The new location opposite the i-SITE information centre made a lot of sense, Dr Peet said.
The department hoped eventually to have one staff member behind the counter at the information centre, to answer tourists' questions.
"We want to have a one-stop shop, like they do in Picton," Dr Peet said.
DoC also wants to join Whanganui UCOL and the River Traders and be part of the rejuvenation of the riverfront area. Renovation and earthquake strengthening makes good use of old buildings and the rental would be cost effective for the department.
Following, the Christchurch earthquakes DoC made it quite clear that it wanted safe buildings for staff. The facades on 34 and 36 are to be replaced as part of the strengthening.
Architect Bruce Dickson had come up with a facade design that reflected the history of the streetscape but was made of modern materials.
"It wouldn't fall on your head and kill you in an earthquake," Dr Peet said.