Group fears building's fate is sealed

The Art Deco Society believes the Auckland City Council has no will to save the Jean Batten building from demolition. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Historic building advocates are upset by what they see as secrecy and lack of action over the future of the Jean Batten Building in Auckland's CBD.

Dorothy McHattie of the Art Deco Society said a closed meeting tomorrow of Auckland City Council's environment, heritage and urban form committee could be the last chance to save the building.

The group wants to stop the Bank of New Zealand from demolishing the building to make way for a new $30 million headquarters.

Society members, fighting for months to save the building, met councillors Bruce Hucker and Christine Caughey on Monday.

Dorothy McHattie said they were told the bank could not be stopped because it had been issued with a legitimate demolition consent valid until 2007.

But Christine Caughey said the legality of that demolition consent had yet to be examined and this was just one of the many issues to be ironed out.

Tomorrow's committee meeting was being held secretly because of commercial sensitivities, she said.

Two months ago, Ian Grant of the city's heritage division prepared a preliminary report on the building, showing that it was worthy of being listed as a category B structure.

The Art Deco Society holds out little hope that the building can be saved.

"We feel the city is not on our side and doesn't have the will to risk upsetting the Bank of New Zealand," Dorothy McHattie said.