A Dunedin heritage building owned by a multinational company propped up with scaffolding and with ferns growing on rotting carpet inside has prompted criticism of "absentee owners".
The Otago Daily Times has made inquiries into the status of the former Arkwright’s Traders building on the corner of Manse and High Sts, following criticism of a group of derelict buildings in nearby Princes St earlier this week.
The company that owns it says it was hit by the Global Financial Crisis and the building is still marked for redevelopment, but Dunedin Heritage Fund chairman Cr David Benson-Pope said he had heard that line before.
In the past, the council had been in touch with the company and been told similar things.
"In the meantime, the Global Financial Crisis is long gone.
"Dunedin is one of the most aggressively growing heritage cities in the country, and it’s time these people either shaped up or shipped out.
"It grates a bit that particularly absentee owners treat our streetscape and our environment so poorly."
In 2008, a consent was issued for the building at 145 High St to be developed into a $5million, six-storeyed extension to the Mercure Hotel, but the work never went ahead.
The building is owned by C P Dunedin Ltd, part of the national C P Group, owned by Charles Pandey. Mr Pandey also part-owns nearby Wains Hotel.
His company describes itself as "a multi-level, global, diversified property development and investment corporation".
Since its incorporation in New Zealand in 1993 it had "amassed a considerable, strategic property portfolio across New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States".
Auckland-based C P Group group asset manager Jonathan Pang said original consents lapsed several years ago, and a third party contractor was "undertaking steps to prepare new documentation based on the feasibility of options before us".
Mr Pang said the Global Financial Crisis put plans on hold for the development proposed in 2008.
"The property is marked for redevelopment but I am unable to comment further on plans until the details are finalised."
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said he did not want to "damn" the building owners, but "10 years is a long time".
"I am concerned that the passage of time might mean the building gets to a point it’s irretrievable, and that would be a great shame."
Council resource consents manager Alan Worthington said under the council’s second generation district plan (2GP), expected to be completed next year, the building was in a heritage precinct and was identified as a "character contributing building".
Demolition would require a resource consent.
Cr Benson-Pope said most owners were doing " a fabulous job" redeveloping heritage buildings.
He encouraged the C P Group to follow the model of local building owners who were successfully redeveloping heritage buildings.
He would call for an immediate investigation of the tools the council could use to deal with the owners at a planning and environment committee meeting next month.
One possibility was a special rating area to improve amenity values.That might mean the city could pay for improvements at the owners’ cost that could improve or shield the buildings from view.
Cr Benson-Pope said the council needed to be smarter about how it dealt with the problem.
