The year finally nears its close and the work continues on Molesworth St. As expected, the tall piece of the building that was hardly touched last week is being pulled apart just like the rest of the structure. A small crowd of people stop to watch and take photos and videos with their cell phones.

Today being quite warm and reasonably still, the worker I spoke to didn’t mind at all being outside all day. He’d been working throughout Christmas and will continue to work over the New Year holiday. Still, he had no idea when this project is expected to be completed; he did say that they will be taking apart the large excavator tomorrow to bring it over to Tory Street where the [expected] 3-month-long project will begin in that part of the city. I suspect that project will cause quite an inconvenience for many.

And to bid farewell to the year that was, from the Old Wellington Region Facebook page I give you:

“61-67 MOLESWORTH Street - 1967 + 2015
- taken from Pipitea Street -
in the process of demolition due to earthquake damage using an 85-tonne ‘ultra-high-reach’ excavator the nine-storey building will be 'deconstructed'. Wellington City Council Chief Executive Kevin Lavery says it is planned to initially focus on the demolition of the Molesworth Street façade of the building and then work progressively to the rear of the site

TOP PHOTO: February 1967
Built in 1964, the 10-storey, 37m high ICI (Imperial Chemicals Industries) commercial office building was one of Wellington's early high rises. Seen here with Bank of New South Wales, Florist, Chemist, Tobacconist and Dry Cleaning depot
photo taken by Duncan Winder (1919-1970)
USE ZOOM: http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE3432113

BOTTOM PHOTO: February 2015
The unoccupied Office building including Bali Day Spa, Nudel Wellington, The Mews and City Clothing Alterations
photo via google maps”

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