Peak legal body confirms Wellington developer snaps up former head office building
The New Zealand Law Society has confirmed that it has sold its national office building in Wellington to The Wellington Company.
The sale comes after the Law Society confirmed that it will move to new premises in Wellington in July. The peak legal body decided to transfer after it was found in 2018 that parts of its office at 26 Waring Taylor Street in Wellington were unsafe in case of an earthquake.
After a detailed seismic assessment, parts of the building were evaluated to be in danger of having their ultimate capacity exceeded in case of a moderate earthquake. The assessment found that if the building or part of it were to collapse, the disaster would likely cause injury or death to people inside or near the building, as well as damage adjacent properties.
Law Society staff worked out of temporary offices, as well as worked from home, after the findings of the assessment were known.
The Law Society said that sale of the building will close by the end of March. The Law Society owns the building, which was constructed in the early 1960s, but the land it is on is on leasehold and is owned by the Wellington City Council.
Helen Morgan-Banda, Law Society chief executive, said that the building “has served the Law Society and New Zealand’s legal profession well for five decades.”
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The Law Society said that its new office on Brandon Street is being strengthened to 130% of the National Building Standard.
