293
MEMORANDUM BY THE GOVERNOR.
I have now been able to give consideration to the Government House and City Development Scheme which was prepared some years ago and was discussed in à memorandum by my predecessor of the 30th of November, 1936. I find myself in agreement with Sir Andrew Caldecott in disliking the proposal for intensive development of the sites now occupied by Government House and the Colonial Secretariat and neighbouring buildings. On the other hand I cannot agree with him regarding the undesirability of building a new Government House and hold with Sir William Peel that the balance of advantage lies in proceeding with such construction.
2. My reasons for reaching this conclusion are as follows ;-
(1) It is no longer economically sound to continue to maintain the present Government House and this factor will become progressively more cogent as time goes on. Furthermore the present Government House and its grounds are not adequate to modern requirements either in size or convenience.
(2) The existing Central Offices of Government are quite unworthy of the Colony's status, as regards both the accommodation which they offer and their appearance. Moreover, they also, for structural reasons, will need to be replaced before many years are out. But no develop- ment is possible of their present site, which is considered to be the most suitable for the Government's Headquarter Offices, until the occupants of the existing buildings have been housed elsewhere. This could best be done in the present Government House which must, of course, first be evacuated.
3. I consider therefore that the project of removing Government House to another site should be proceeded with at once, both on economic grounds and as an essential preliminary to a worthy development of the area lying between Queen's Road and the Public Gardens: and for this purpose I regard the Magazine Gap site as being the most advantageous of those put forward for consideration. Adoption of this site would enable the Governor to dispense with Mountain Lodge, the upkeep of which is very expensive.
4. The cost of erection including the preparation for this site is put in round figures at $2,000,000. It is suggested that funds can be found by the utilization of the amount now lying to the credit of the Government House and City Develop- ment Fund $840,000 and the amounts which it is hoped to realize by the sale of the old City Hall site and other sites at present available or expected to be rendered available as a result of the removal of Government House. On the basis of present valuations of these sites the financial scheme would be as follows:-
(a) Utilization of amount lying to the credit of the Govern-
ment House and City Development Fund
(c) Sale of Beaconsfield Arcade site 13,300 sq. ft. @ $50
per sq. ft.
(b) Sale of old City Hall site. 15,500 sq. ft. @ $65 per
sq. ft.
$
840,000
1.007.500
665,000
(d) Sale of (former) Inland Lot No. 564 7,000 sq. ft. @
$30 per sq. ft.
210,000
$ 2,722,500