NZTA confirms its new Palmerston North office at 56 The Square, the site of the former FMG building.
This follows the evacuation of the old building at 43 Ashley Street on June 13 after it was revealed the building was earthquake prone.
The Transport Agency contact centre reopened in a temporary space shortly after the evacuation, with a second office site operation only a few weeks later.
The Agency says it was a priority to find a longer-term temporary space for all its staff and have no confirmed a lease for 56 The Square.
Detailed planning is underway, with a project a relocation timeline coming in the coming weeks.
As reported by AutoTalk, this hinders Stonewood Group New Zealand’s plans to turn the old FMG building in a four-star hotel.
Group director Michael Chow says they received a call to hold the project to help the NZTA staff, who at that point were homeless. The four-star hotel project will be put on hold to house NZTA.
It will be NZTA’s longer-term temporary premises while the search continues for a more permanent location.
NZTA were advised that the old building on Ashley Street was below 34% of the New Zealand Building Standard after structural investigations were carried out.
Further communications around the new premises will be issued in coming weeks, says NZTA in an official statement.
