The Dunedin City Council has just granted building consent to the Cargill’s Castle Trust, to begin stage one of a development that will eventually turn the historic building into a major tourist attraction.
Trust chairman Steven De Graaf was delighted with the approval, which meant steel bands (plates) could be placed around the top of the walls to stabilise and strengthen the building, before going on to stage two which included creating floors, stairways and viewing platforms and filling in cracks in the walls.
The project was expected to cost up to $2 million, he said.
Work on stage one would begin later this year.
"For a long time, we’ve been treading water and waiting for things to open up again after the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The project is finally starting to go places."
Fire gutted the building in 1892, but it was restored by Cargill and had several owners after that.
It was vacated by its last owner in 1973 and now lies in ruins.
A major fundraising campaign for the project would continue this weekend with a heritage homes tour on Sunday, Mr De Graaf said.
"It’s great to see what some people are doing to save our heritage buildings.
"Also, for something different, there is a modern award-winning house at Ocean View with spectacular views."
