Originally built as a bathing pavilion in 1938, the Oriental Bay Band Rotunda housed several restaurants and bars from the 1980s until it was found to be quake prone. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
Work has stalled on a multi-million-dollar restoration of Wellington's historic Oriental Bay Band Rotunda because no tenant is willing to take it on.
The council-owned landmark has stood empty for more than a decade, awaiting extensive strengthening work.
Originally built as a bathing pavilion in 1938, the building housed several restaurants and bars from the 1980s until it was found to be quake prone.
Strengthening work began in 2021 after Wellington City Council signed a long-term lease with the construction firm McKee Fehl and its sister company, Cheops Holdings, which specialises in developing historic buildings.
But nothing has happened on the site for more than a year.
Cheops Holdings managing director Maurice Clark said that was because they had not found a restaurateur willing to take it on.
"I think we'll find someone, but not necessarily soon, there is some interest, but I think it's a question of waiting to see."
Clark said 3 to 4 million dollars' worth of work was still needed to finish it.
"There's quite a lot of work, quite a lot of money, whilst the premises are in a great location for a restaurant it's quite a big area, it's nearly 400 square metres of restaurant."
No restaurateur willing to take on the historic site has yet been found, says Cheops Holdings managing director Maurice Clark. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
Oriental Bay Residents Association President, Andrew Meehan said it was disappointing a solution for the building had not been found.
"We get a lot of visitors, clearly here right through summer and it's not a good look when you've got what is certainly the feature point of Oriental Bay in disrepair as it's been for the last two or three years."
Meehan told RNZ it would be great to transform it from an eyesore to a feature of the area.
"There is no better location probably in the country frankly for a restaurant."
Hospitality NZ Vice President Paul Retimanu said the last few years had been hard on the sector.
"In six to twelve months it could be different, cyclic, everything will start coming back, things will start to normalise," he said.
"The issue with the band rotunda or the rationale behind that not being filled so quickly, right here, right now will just be a simple matter of demand and supply."
He said the building was an important space in Wellington.
"The Oriental Bay beachfront there is well frequented. It's part of a second way of getting to the airport so a lot of people go down that area."
Wellington residents RNZ spoke to at Oriental Bay thought it should be turned back into a restaurant.
Finn said he would like it to be a restaurant again if it was "a Wellingtonian type restaurant" that protected the culture of the area.
"Why not? Like, what else would we do with it - as long as the upper area with the balcony you can look out [from] stays."
Mike told RNZ he remembered it being a restaurant.
"It's such an iconic spot, it would be lovely to see it done up and restored and be used properly."
Wellington residents RNZ spoke to at Oriental Bay thought the band rotunda should be turned back into a restaurant. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
Diny remembered taking her five children to the rotunda once or twice a year for a treat.
"I think another restaurant would be great because it's a beautiful spot."
A spokesperson for Wellington City Council told RNZ the restoration was being funded by the developer and had not cost ratepayers any money of note.
It was continuing to work with McKee Fehl but there was no deadline for the completion of the project.
