Region: Conference centre to replace hotel

The Old White Hart Hotel in Broadway, Marton, is to be demolished at the end of the year. Photo/ Lin Ferguson

One of Marton's old landmarks, the former White Hart Hotel, will be gone by the end of the year.

The building on the corner of Broadway and lower High St stopped operating as a hotel in 1999.

It has been deemed an earthquake risk, particularly with two street frontages.

The hotel was established in 1866 but burned down in a fire in 1912. It was rebuilt a year later.

The hotel was sold to the Elim Church and is used for church activities as well as several community activities such as dancing classes.

Pastor Graham Moore said the church planned a conference centre, with a large kitchen and in-house catering company, for the site.

Several smaller rooms will be built for church ministries and community groups.

Mr Moore said because Marton was such a central location in the North Island there would probably be businesses north and south who would hire then centre.

"Marton doesn't have a proper conference centre and I'm sure it will get a lot of use and be very popular."

But even though the permits for the demolition will be through by the end of the year, it could be a while before the new building starts to go up, he said.

"It's going to take patience and time but it will be worth it.

"Marton Elim Church is part of the Elim movement in New Zealand, but we also have close relationships with Elim movements around the world, especially in the UK.

"These relationships give us a great sense of family and feeling that we have a big brother looking out for us as we walk the journey of life together.

"As we partner with the bigger movement of Elim around New Zealand and the world so I, as pastor, want to partner with the people of Marton and the Rangitikei."