KEY POINTS:
The demolition ball has been put away for two years so a viable use can be found for an endangered historic building at Green Lane Hospital.
Auckland District Health Board chairman Pat Snedden yesterday announced that the board was willing to seek a solution to save Building 5 while continuing to protect the site for future health needs.
Mr Snedden suggested a "middle way" at a meeting of Auckland City Council's city development committee, which voted in favour of saving the building.
"I'm prepared to suggest we have a pause in this process for a short period where we give the opportunity for a couple of years where people can look at alternative uses of that building."
If someone could put forward a commercial proposition to reactivate the life of the building, the board would look at it, he said.
Mr Snedden's approach was a turnaround from the board's previous hardline position to demolish the building.
It followed Auckland leaders John Banks and Mike Lee joining the fight to save the building.
Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, is also concerned at the impending loss of the century-old building and called for a report from heritage officials.
Medical charity administrator Helen Geary has filed an appeal to the Environment Court to overturn permission from the council to demolish the building for a carpark.
Mr Banks, the Mayor of Auckland City, offered to work with Mr Snedden on a solution to preserve the building.
Mr Banks repeated his criticism of the council's heritage team for allowing the building to be marked for demolition after giving it a fail mark by one point, saying it was "at least pedantic and, at worst, pettifogging".
The committee rejected a recommendation from city heritage manager George Farrant that Building 5 be dumped from a list of proposed new heritage buildings because it failed the 50-point pass mark by one point.
Heritage campaigner Allan Matson told councillors that in his experience the council's points system for deciding the protection level of buildings "jumps around tremendously".
Mr Snedden said the board had been involved in a $500 million upgrade of facilities at Green Lane since 1994, which had seen other facilities demolished for contemporary high-end health services.
That did not mean the board was blind to heritage, he said, citing retention of the historic Costley Block, "which is indeed costly".
"There is no economic value in the restoration of that," Mr Snedden said.
"It would cost a lot more than to demolish the building and build a new one, but nevertheless we are committed to doing that."
