Palmerston North's grand Edwardian former post office is now a crumbling eyesore, and its owner has rebuffed council efforts to spruce it up.
Plans to spruce up the exterior of the building that once housed Palmerston North's post office have been abandoned. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Plans to tidy the facade of the building, on the corner of The Square and Main Street in the city centre, were revealed in documents obtained by RNZ.
However, the scheme was abandoned when officials couldn't break an impasse with the building's owner.
The idea was to do safety and tidying work on the two-storey building, which has been degrading since its last tenant, a bar, moved out five years ago.
Palmerston North artists Warren and Virginia Warbrick were engaged by the Palmerston North City Council to install works which would be placed over boarded-up windows on the street fronts, and on another side of the building visible from a mall car park.
The works were made up of historical photos, with explanations about their link to local history. One earlier concept envisaged using Māori designs.
It was hoped the building would be tidied up before Palmerston North hosted the Local Government NZ conference this week. Photo: Supplied
It was hoped they would be in place by the start of the Local Government New Zealand conference Palmerston North is hosting this week.
But Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith confirmed the idea would not be happening, because the council and building owner, a company called Palmerston Post, couldn't reach an agreement.
Auckland man Alan Moyes is the company's director and sole shareholder.
The council was going to pay for the art, but work to make the building safe would have had to come from the owner's pocket.
"Initially we got some agreement, but there were some costs that were not to be borne by the ratepayer because the building is in private ownership and it's the responsibility of the owner to make the building safe," Smith said.
"We were quite happy to tidy the building up and make the building look attractive - help the owner possibly attract somebody [to buy it] - but we just couldn't get agreement."
Smith said the council had since slapped a safety abatement notice on the building. It was the city post office until the mid-1980s, before becoming home to bars, including long-time pub High Flyers.
The mayor said dealing with the building's present owner was tough, and the council would next month discuss its options.
"He's just very difficult and he's an absentee landlord," Smith said of Moyes.
"We're looking at trying to get somebody to develop the building that's got a real vision...
"We'd love a new owner who is interested in doing something with it. We're actively trying to see if there are people around."
The present owner of the building was issued a resource consent to turn the building into a hotel, conference venue and retail space, but that came to nothing.
The building facade is heritage protected, although the structure behind it would need replacing.
Moyes declined to comment when contacted by RNZ.
He is trying to sell the section, worth about $3 million, and RNZ understands property developers the Chow brothers were in advanced talks about buying it, but no agreement was reached.
It is in a prime spot on The Square in the city's centre, and locals say it is now a blot on the landscape.
The building is on a prime spot in the middle of Palmerston North's CBD. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
One man told RNZ a bulldozer would be a good option, while others recalled fond memories of it as the post office, or night spot.
"It's a real shame because it used to be a really energetic pub back in the day, but it's really gone to the dogs," one man said.
Another man said he had taken a look inside and it was in a terrible state.
"[There are] holes in the ground. Underground there's heaps of stuff out there - rotten alcohol, rotten food, heaps of stuff there.
"There's a fridge full of alcohol, but all of it's just yuck. There's homeless people with their animals."
The council documents released to RNZ show Smith emailed Moyes on 25 May about the cleanup plan, asking for permission to enter the property and tidy at the council's cost.
The following day internal council emails say Moyes had given permission for signs and awnings to be removed from the building, and for painting touch ups.
On 30 May, council acting chief customer officer Kerry-Lee Probert sent another email to Moyes, saying the council would pay for work to tidy and install the heritage photos. But Moyes would have to pay to board up broken windows because they were a hazard.
Moyes replied: "As you will see from Grant Smith's email this was to be at no cost. I have agreed to the request on this basis."
Smith's email didn't mention work to make the building safe, just the plan to tidy it.
An email from a lawyer acting for Moyes, Tim Burcher, to Smith followed, saying Probert's request was disappointing.
Smith replied saying he had since spoken to staff to clarify the situation.
"While there is an expectation for the owner to make the building safe, officers are only asking for the physical boarding of windows to be paid for, as there are numerous unsafe broken windows.
"[The] council will do the much heavier lifting and bear the cost of graffiti removal, paint outs, removal of old signage and awnings, and design-print-adhere heritage images on the windows to give the building some yesteryear status.
"We are bearing the brunt of that greater cost and presenting, we all hope, a much more sellable property. It should, and I'm sure will be, a win-win for all."
From there negotiations broke down.
Smith was disappointed the tidy up couldn't happen.
"The site is significant. It's sitting in New Zealand's seventh-largest urban area right in The Square. It's got to be attractive to somebody."