Council to seek community views on future options for 125 Grey Street
Published on 21 May 2025
Whanganui District Council wants to hear the community’s views and preferences on the future use of property it owns at 125 Grey Street, Springvale, Whanganui.
The property is a substantial complex, occupying a 20,682m² site, next to Springvale Park. Formerly St George’s School, it includes a main building constructed in 1927, a chapel built in 1957, and an administration block and amphitheatre built in 2002-2003.
Mayor Andrew Tripe says, “Heritage is an important part of Whanganui’s story, so we need to hear a range of perspectives before making any decision. We know there will be considerable interest, given the role these buildings have played in the lives of many Whanganui people."
The main building was designed by Whanganui architect Robert Gordon Talboys in a neo-Georgian style and the original school buildings have Class C heritage status under the Whanganui District Plan.
“The area is a prime spot,” says Mayor Andrew, “and it could potentially be used for development by the council for some future use, such as an expanded recreational facility to complement the Springvale Park complex.
“We need to get the balance right though,” he says, “so we are not creating an unwanted burden for ratepayers.”
The property currently yields an annual income of around $51k and has expenses of around $100k
Council chief executive David Langford says, “The time is right to look at how a loss-making property could be turned into a profit-making asset.”
Purchased from Whanganui District Holdings Ltd in 2023, the site has attracted several expressions of interest from developers and Langford says, “There is certainly potential to lease the property to a developer and we have an interested party in the wings should we want to go that way.”
He says, “Health and safety considerations are also at the top of our minds, along with ongoing maintenance costs.”
“We are dealing with two main health and safety considerations when considering any options for the future use of this property – earthquake risks – and asbestos contamination.”
The buildings on the original St George’s campus have a national seismic building standard (NBS) rating in the range of 10 – 20 percent.
Langford says the threshold for earthquake-prone buildings under the Building Act 2004 is 34 percent. “At a high level, the cost of strengthening is estimated at around $8-10 million. Whether we keep the property or not, the council will need to make an investment for public safety.”
The site also contains significant levels of asbestos contamination, which is currently being managed by use of exclusion zones. “Asbestos removal is estimated as costing between $750k and $1 million depending on what is decided for the site.”
Options for the community to consider are to:
1. Do nothing, retain the asset and current use.
2. Retain the site and refurbish the buildings for some future council use.
3. Retain the site and demolish the existing buildings for some future council use.
4. Divest the asset by way of a sale and purchase agreement with a private developer.
5. Lease the asset long-term to a private developer
The council voted not to state a preferred option for community consultation, which will open on Tuesday, 27 May and close on Sunday, 15 June 2025.
Councillors raised the matter of parking in the area and asked that further work be undertaken to investigate car parking along Parsons Street and Carlton Avenue and for this to form part of the consultation process.