Heritage fund helps spruce up trio of Napier buildings

The former Bank of New South Wales building on Hastings St, Napier. Photo / File

A trio of Napier's Art Deco buildings are being brought back to their former glory with a helping hand from the Robert McGregor Heritage Fund.

Launched by the Art Deco Trust and Napier City Council just over a year ago, the fund allows historic building owners to apply for grants worth up to $10,000, and has so far provided funding to owners of nine buildings in Napier.

The latest funding round agreed to support work to spruce up the facades of three CBD buildings.

The first was the 1933 former Bank of New South Wales building on Hastings St, which was sold to new owners earlier this year.

"We are delighted to receive this grant which will assist with the painting of the facade. This will really bring together all the hard work completed over the past few months during the renovation and really bring the building back to life," owner Carol Howard said.

CD Cox's building on Dalton St, where owners Greg and Wendy Nowell Usticke are converting the middle floors into two Art Deco apartments, will be the second recipient.

The third is the Golden Crown building on Dickens St, which is getting an overhaul by Wallace Development with a new restaurant tenanting the ground floor and a renovation of the first floor apartment and earthquake strengthening.

Funds awarded will again assist the painting of the facade.

The fund is named after Robert McGregor (1940-2015) who was a founding member of Art Deco Trust.

NCC strategic planning lead Fleur Lincoln said the council was delighted to see all three projects under way.

"It will certainly make a significant impact on the streetscape over time which is exactly the intention of the fund. It is fantastic to see building owners enhancing their facades and shows how much we all really value our heritage."