In the second week of The Star's build-up to the Dunedin Heritage Festival, Dan Hutchinson talks to Lawrie Forbes - one of several property developers who are passionate about the city's history.
There is one sure fire way to dramatically change a dusty old room in a historic Dunedin building - put Lawrie Forbes in the middle of it and set him talking.
As the traffic on Crawford St rattles by in sporadic bursts, Mr Forbes is intently explaining what he has found since he bought the four old buildings in the old Warehouse Precinct.
''. . . John McIndoe the first won a lottery and was able to put a second storey on the original building. John McIndoe the second decided to get into publishing and he bought this building next door . . .''
Property development is not just about fixing up old buildings for Mr Forbes, it is about breathing life into them, and as much about the tenants who will pay the bills as anything else.
He has big plans for the old McIndoe Print buildings and the AH Reid Publishing building on the other side of Jetty Street but the eventual shape of those plans will be largely dictated by those occupying them.
Development has stagnated over the past few decades because it was designated as an area for large retail only but that is all about to change with the revised district plan.
''At long last I am getting my wish about this area becoming attractive.
''It should have always been mixed use and it was foolish to be made large-scale retail which is why the whole area died. City planners just stuck to the rules and wound it down and down and down.''
He has already developed one building, which now has Agility Logistics downstairs and upstairs will shortly be occupied by a seamstress. He has also built his own apartment on the top floor.
Mr Forbes said it was important to preserve what was found in the buildings as well as its architectural features.
''The person doing the development is usually running around barking into a cellphone and driving a flash car and hasn't got his finger on the pulse.
''He has got some boy or whoever he can pay the cheapest to rip things out and the problem with boys is they don't know the value of old things.''
Some of the manuscripts found in his old buildings have gone to the Hocken Collections of the University of Otago for safekeeping. Some have been stored to sort out later and some first edition books and posters have been sold to help pay the bills.
''You get this stuff out and part way through sorting it all you go, `Why ... am I messing around with this when I am behind?' but you just carry on and do it.''
He said there was ''the odd thing'' that he has sold ''because it is money that drives the whole thing''.
Mr Forbes' latest acquisition is the Athenaeum Building in the Octagon with his $900,000 bid enough to take it off the Dunedin City Council's hands on Tuesday this week.
He is working with arts and culture groups to discuss possible uses for part of the building and the current tenants are welcome to stay.
The old AH Reid building will have a mixture of retail and residential and the original John McIndoe building on Vogel St was the ideal site for a cafe.
