Changes add to city's Art Deco character

Developer Lance Sheeran uncovered a piece of history in Napier recently, while working on his first Hawke's Bay project.

It was a sign revealing his Dalton St property was a former home of the Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune newspaper.

He said he strongly suspected the building, which previously had a corrugated awning and plywood facade, was of Art Deco design, and was confident its seismic rating would be good - his redevelopment was designed to bring it to 100 per cent of code.

"We bought the building and I thought, it's got reinforced concrete, it will be pretty good," he said. "It was a single storey so I thought the surprises would be limited. It had brick infill, but that was only for fire rating."

In the old days, brick was required for a fire rating but nowadays plasterboard was available.

"We did the numbers on it and the goal was always to bring it to 100 per cent - give the city of Napier an Art Deco building with 100 per cent of the modern building code."

Bayleys agent Eoin Carty said one of three units had already been leased and he applauded the building's restoration: "It is a definite improvement and adds to Napier's stock of Art Deco buildings."

Like Jonathon Wallace, of Wallace developments, Mr Sheeran was mainly active in Palmerston North but became interested in Bay developments after he moved here and started a branch of family business Aranui Properties.

He was coy about his next move: "If the opportunities present themselves, we will do it."