Hallelujah - college can stay

PETER DRURY/Waikato Times

COLLEGE CELEBRATION: Members of the Temple View Heritage Society, which has campaigned to save Hamilton's Church College from demolition, at the college campus.

The white concrete block buildings on the old Church College campus in Temple View have been saved from the wrecking ball.

The college campus, west of Hamilton, is one of the best examples of American post-war campus design in the world.

It had been tagged for demolition by its owners, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which closed the school at the end of last year.

The demolition plans sparked a massive reaction from former students and other community members upset that the campus, built in the 1950s, would go.

The campus includes three significant structures: the David O McKay building (housing an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and large auditorium), the Wendel B Mendenhall library, and the Matthew Cowley administration building. It is those buildings the Temple View Heritage Society had been striving to save.

However, after a long campaign to save the buildings from being flattened – led by the Temple View Heritage Society – church officials this week confirmed they had withdrawn their application to Hamilton City Council to demolish the campus.

The church's decision to withdraw the demolition application is the final step in a major turn-around from the church hierarchy. For months it had maintained the buildings would be removed despite concerns from the city's Mormon community, city councillors and the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

The church remains in discussions with the council over district plan variations which apply to the Temple View suburb and the old campus, but Utah-based church property administrator Kent Money said the church was now exploring other possible uses for the buildings.

The church was working with an "envisioning committee", comprising members of the Temple View Heritage Society, Labour Missionaries Association, Church College Alumni Association and members of the Temple View community, to decide the future use of the campus.

Mr Money, who is also chairman of the envisioning committee, said the decision to leave the largest and most significant buildings standing came about after discussions with city representatives and the community.

"There are six buildings we will not demolish, and a good possibility there'll be many more," he said.

Mr Money said there were several "very good ideas" touted for future use of the campus, but he was not able to elaborate on what they were.

"We're looking at several options, and they're probably more broad than most people would suspect."

The church would not sell the property, which it was continuing to maintain.

Bob Hamon, chair of the Temple View Heritage Society, said there was both relief and celebration at the decision to shelve demolition plans.

"It's a very positive signal that the church is actively looking at other options for the school," Mr Hamon said.

He said the society accepted some of the smaller structures could still be removed, but the main aim had essentially been achieved.

Andrew Bydder, chair of the Waikato Bay of Plenty branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, said the architectural community shared the sense of relief the buildings would be saved.

"The point I have always stressed is that the school is an integral part of that suburb – it's not just saving the school, it's saving the suburb.

"It's good for the whole of New Zealand to recognise we've got something special in our midst. Now we've just got to find a good use for the buildings."

- © Fairfax NZ News