Repurpose and save

Repurposing part of Napier's iconic but earthquake-prone Art Deco Anglican cathedral for commercial use is likely, she told parishioner's last Sunday.

A developer's concept drawings could see the current nave converted into four storeys of commercial space (500m2 per floor), with the rest retained for church use, Woods said.

That option has support from the building owners, Waiapu Cathedral Board of Diocesan Trustees.

They have "resolved in principle to support the repurposing of the Cathedral for commercial use, and are open to joint venture proposals" Woods said.

She went on to reassure parishioners that their future during the repurposing works is also being considered.

"For our Cathedral parish people, the positive options include temporary relocation to another church or hall for worship services, and the possibility of merging with other parishes into a Greater Napier parish" Woods said.

What's behind the plan?

In common with many heritage building owners, Waiapu Cathedral's Vestry and Seismic Strengthening Committee had some hard decisions to make about the building's future.

"We have no intention of demolishing the building - the reasons include cost, heritage awareness, public sentiment and risk, with uncertainty about what lies beneath our foundations" Woods wrote is a letter to the parish.

She explained the parish has no ability to strengthen the Cathedral in its current form.

"We cannot afford to do so, and the modifications necessary to make it useful for the wider community only escalate the cost, as does the NCC District Plan's proposal of a tier 1 heritage listing."

Woods also told parishioners that the committee has "no appetite to strengthen [the Cathedral] - our financial situation in 2024 sees us unable to meet the costs of operating the existing building, which means strengthening ‘as is' becomes futile".

Source

• Waiapu Anglican Cathedral

Father David Orange's painting of Wellington Harbour, "Dawn at Wellington", sold for $3500.

He says his love of the city and its harbour inspired him to paint the scene in 2019.

The online art auction attracted works by 30 artists from the greater Wellington region. It raised $12,000 for the cathedral, which has been closed since July 2018 for seismic strengthening.

Orange's connection with the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart extends over several decades. He was ordained there in 1964.

The former hospital chaplain has been painting all his life. Sadly, he is losing his eyesight from macular degeneration and can no longer read or sign his name on his works.

Even that hasn't stopped him from picking up his brushes though. He still manages to paint less detailed landscapes, though his ability to paint portraits has faded with his eyesight.

"I grew up in Miramar, and I never had any art lessons, but I always painted. I did the scenery for plays in the seminary and I used to illustrate the college magazine," he says.

He says encouragement to paint came from notable New Zealand portrait painter Sister Mary Lawrence, who painted under the name Julia Lynch. She introduced Orange to oil painting.

Fundraising continues

The Catholic community still has $2.6 million left to raise from the $16.5 million needed to complete the cathedral's refurbishment.

Among the funds collected to date are an $8.5 million dollar "shovel-ready" grant from the government and $120,000 from the Wellington City Council Built Heritage Incentive Fund.

Volunteer and chief organiser of the art auction, Malcolm Foo, coordinated the 120 works listed on the site.

"We thought it was a great way to connect with the community through the cathedral's fundraising efforts," he says.

While Omicron settings meant a last-minute decision had to be made to move the auction online, he says the digital approach had some benefits as it enabled a wider audience to get involved.

"We had bids from as far away as the States, someone from Florida actually purchased a painting," Foo says.

The strengthening of the cathedral is on schedule to be completed in 2023 and the cathedral reopened.

Source

• Scoop

The city council has sent the parish the bill for all costs, including the consultants and lawyer who argued against granting the church's applications.

The costs include $166,000 for the council's consultants and legal representatives, and another $102,000 for the hearing commissioners' costs, a legal opinion and council governance staff time. Read more