Chief Post Office's Future Sorted

The former Chief Post Office building in Princes Street will be given a new lease on life - but not as a new site for the city’s central library.

The DCC has been conducting a feasibility analysis on the building’s suitability for adaptation to a library/office accommodation complex under an option from the building’s current owner South Canterbury Finance.

That option recently expired before the DCC analysis was completed and the Council has been unable to negotiate an extension after a firm offer to develop the building as a hotel was received by its owners.

The CPO building will now be developed as a 4 star hotel by Distinction Hotels whose owner, Mr Geoffrey Thomson, already owns hotels in Queenstown, Te Anau and Rotorua.

Mr Thomson, who hopes to have the Dunedin hotel open in time to meet demand for the Rugby World Cup, is excited by the opportunity to add to the city’s accommodation capacity.

“I think this is the most appropriate use of the building. Not only will it bring new construction jobs during the conversion to a hotel and then deliver dozens of permanent new jobs when complete, it will also grow the tourism market in Dunedin, Otago and Southland” said Mr Thomson.

Meanwhile, Mayor, Peter Chin, says the news is bittersweet. “We’re disappointed our plans for the Library have come to nothing. But the city will benefit from the development of a new hotel, which, like our Library plans, will revitalise an iconic heritage inner-city precinct.”

The Council had made no financial commitment to the development of the CPO. The costs of the analysis have been absorbed by the generosity of the consultants wishing to see the city landmark building put to good use.