Frustration heats up over fire-damaged Dee St building
“Genuinely the [Waxy O’Shea’s] business has the potential to become unviable unless there is a solution."
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ILT chief executive Chris Ramsay says the Waxy’s Irish Pub may become unviable with him increasingly frustrated by a lack of action around a neighbouring building.
A Dee St building, widely known in Invercargill as the Briscoe building but also referred to as the Pall Mall building, was ravaged by fire last year.
The footpath in front of the fire-damaged building had been closed since impacting neighbouring businesses including Waxy’s, an ILT pub and restaurant.
The building owners - who are understood not to be based in Invercargill - have previously indicated the cost of repairing the building would be in the “millions” and the insurance they received would not cover it.
The Southland Business Chamber held a ‘Westpac Smarts’ panel discussion on Wednesday with Ramsay and Invercargill City Council Michael Day.
Ramsay took the opportunity to hammer home his frustration about the building and closed footpath.
“Genuinely the [Waxy’s] business has the potential to become unviable unless there is a solution,” Ramsay said.
“We are conscious of our social responsibility and not wanting to close something without opening something else.”
Ramsay added that it wasn’t just the ILT which was struggling with the situation.
“I’ve got a whole bunch of retailers on the other side of the street lobbying us because they feel like we have got the biggest voice to be able to put some pressure on.”
At the moment the footpath has been fenced off and a container walkway added on the edge of Dee St to allow pedestrians to stay clear of the damaged building.
Council CEO Michael Day also addressed the matter as part of the Chamber’s panel discussion.
“Public safety is the critical component. And that is about how can we maintain public access through there and do it in a safe way, but foremost is that the public do not get anything from the building falling.”
Southland Business Chamber CEO Sheree Carey - who is also an ILT board member - asked if it could realistically be “years” until the situation is sorted.
“Realistically, yes it could,” Day responded, prompting a shake of the head from Ramsay.
Day said they would look at all of the options in front of the council to help sort the matter and those options would be put to councillors at a workshop this month.
Ramsay asked Day what timelines the property owner had given the council, in terms of sorting the problem.
Day said he couldn’t comment on a “private matter”.
“But it is affecting us all,” Ramsay said.
Day said he was aware of the challenges all of the businesses affected had and felt for them.
Ramsay questioned whether the current setup, in regard to the container walkway in front of the fire-damaged building, was actually safe.
“I’d argue they are not safe,” Ramsay said.
“I’ve walked through after 5 o’clock in the middle of winter, its pitch black with two containers side by side, no windows, no lights.
“I don’t understand how someone is allowed to do that when we were made [while building The Langlands] to have very tidy-looking containers with windows and lights, and actually make it an appealing journey.”
Day acknowledged the current container walkway setup on Dee St did not meet safety requirements at night in terms of lighting.
“Having a building owner or property owner able to fund that, that comes with an extra challenge.”
Day said it comes down to the council trying to enforce the requirements and also the affordability of individual property owners.
“This is not a case where the council isn’t taking action and not trying to get this resolved. We are taking action.”
Ramsay believed property owners in general needed to take more responsibility for their buildings.
“If you purchase a building and you are not willing to insure it to be able to remediate it if something goes wrong, I actually think that is gross negligence.
“But when it happens, there needs to be some sort of consequence for the building owner that the local body can enforce and drive.”
The ILT has four earthquake-prone buildings in its portfolio, Waxy’s being one of them.
Others include the old Fat Indian restaurant building at the back of the Speights Ale House, the former Sugar Shack building in Don St, and its Lone Star property on the corner of Dee St and Leet St.
ILT does still have four more years to sort out those buildings, in terms of strengthening.
“All of those tied together are informing what the next [establishment] opportunity to be,” Ramsay said.
One prospect is to utilise that building behind the Speights Ale House which once was home to the Fat Indian Curryhouse.
“The idea is to create something cool and unique speakeasy style out the back. It’s mixed-use because we’ll be able to service it from the Speights Ale House, that’s one option.”
I walked through those containers a few weeks ago and did not feel safe even in daylight. There are parts that I believe are rotten, perhaps Mr Day should go for a walk and check it out.
Surely the boss man at I L T can do some pocket pissing to get some action...