The Wellington City Council has agreed to provide $400,000 to help St Mary of the Angels church with its earthquake strengthening.
Council staff had recommended giving the church $200,000 to help with its $9.3 million earthquake strengthening project.
But city councillors increased their contribution to $400,000 on Thursday, and signalled as much as $500,000 be given to St Mary of the Angels.
Deputy Mayor Justin Lester proposed giving the church $250,000 from the Built Heritage Incentive Fund this financial year and pre-approving $150,000 from the fund for 2016-17, provided it ticked all the boxes with councillors during the Annual Plan process.
He suggested even more money could be found for the church from other budgets in next year’s Annual Plan, taking the total contribution up to $500,000.
Before agreeing to hand over more funding, councillors heard from representatives of Chamber Music New Zealand and the New Zealand Festival, and St Mary of the Angels patron Sir David Carruthers.
In her report to councillors, Vanessa Tanner, the council’s senior heritage advisor, had said St Mary of the Angels was a fine example of a late Gothic Revival-style church.
“The building is an enduring landmark on Boulcott and Willis streets and makes a strong contribution to the sense of place and continuity of its site and the streetscape.”
St Mary’s was one of nine heritage properties that received a slice of the $675,500 councillors dispensed from the Built Heritage Incentive Fund.
Source
- stuff.co.nz
- stuff.co.nz
- Image: stuff.co.nz
Related Posts:
News category: New Zealand, Top Story.
