Masterton’s oldest community trust is on the move this week. Vacating its earthquake prone heritage building at 189 Queen Street, Trustees and staff will be settling into a modern refurbished office at 115 Chapel Street.
“The former National Bank building at 189 Queen Street had served the Trust well for the past 28 years, but its earthquake prone status and heritage classification was the impetus for us to make a move,” explains the Trust’s general manager Andrew Croskery. “It’s great to have been able to re-purpose another of our centrally-located properties, to combine our office and storage needs.”
Approximately half of the building will serve as secure storage space for the Trust and some of its tenants.
With an eye to the future, re-purposing 115 Chapel Street has required significant earthquake strengthening to improve safety for occupants, and to protect its structural integrity in a big quake.
The renovations have also been designed with sustainability in mind. On the roof are new solar panels to harness the sun’s energy – pumping out 19.24 KW on sunny days. The system includes the ability to add battery backup in future. Natural products like New Zealand wool have been used throughout – from the floor, to the acoustic wall panels.
“The Trust has been around for more than 150 years, so we wanted to create a home that will support its work for generations to come,” says Christine Brewster, Trust chair.
“We’ve really appreciated all the local support and workmanship in getting us to this point.”
Pictured: Lena Pitau and Seth Po’ona, representatives of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, led the blessing for Masterton Trust Lands Trust’s new office at 115 Chapel St.