Rangitoto Observer – Page 14 – September 29 2013
Stymied over a well-advanced plan to build 50 apartments on the rear of its prominent corner site, the Takapuna Methodist Church has instead opted to rebrand under a new ‘Puriri Centre’ banner.
Housed in a distinctive century-old Spanish Mission-style hall and 1959 church building in pink concrete-block on a site at the corner of Lake Rd and Tennyson Ave, the parish had planned a major development which would have allowed it to refurbish its heritage buildings.
It planned to build six levels of apartments across the rear of the property and ultimately have a cafe in a reconfigured hall, plus a new community centre with offices above on the Lake Rd side of the site.
Rev Peter Norman, who is superintendent of the combined Northcote- Takapuna Methodist Parish, said the parish had been
“completely” behind the development, with detailed plans having been drawn up by top architecture firm Jasmax.
“It was a great plan,” said parish-council member Chris Gregory.
But just ahead of submitting the plans for resource consent in 2020, the national Methodist Church organisation – which holds the site title – halted the project, concerned at a perceived financial risk.
“They said to go away and look at other options,” Norman said.
Out of that has come the Puriri Centre concept, under which the church is inviting the wider community to make greater use of its buildings.
Norman said the hall at the gateway to central Takapuna had been part of the local community since it was built a century ago.
“We want to build on that.”
The church, which is also home to a Korean Methodist congregation, already has a childcare company, dental practices, community-services group Respect and an English-language tuition provider operating on the site.
But the facilities have probably been under-utilised, Norman said. Under the new identity, the wider community, including other non-profit organisations, is being invited to use them. “The plan is to put new energy into the place.”The “Puriri” name had been gifted by iwi two or three years ago. It references the large puriri tree – which may also date back to the 1920s – on the corner outside the hall.
Norman said the concept wasn’t aimed at bringing people into the church. “We view this as a community asset,” he said. “It’s here
to be used by the community.”
Gregory said that though the church had always made its premises available, it had refocused its purpose. “We’ve got to be very much outward focused. It’s about being part of an evolving community.”
“We want to build on that.”
It has already had community ‘enablers’ working around the North Shore, and an involvement in projects such as a Know Your Neighbours initiative in Meadowood
(which developed into a nationwide Neighbours Aotearoa project), Kaitiaki Dinners produced by the Kai 4 Communities Trust, and children’s craft afternoons.
The parish still aims to refurbish the
church and hall, undertaking seismic
strengthening and reconfiguring the church space for greater flexibility.