Council approves $1.9m grant for historic mansion

Christchurch City Council will give a heritage grant of more than $1.9 million to the charitable trust seeking to buy McLean’s Mansion and turn it into an art gallery.

Historic McLean's Mansion in Manchester St.

The Council approved the grant at its meeting today.

The grant is subject to a number of conditions, including a full conservation covenant being placed on McLean’s Mansion and its grounds.

McLeans Mansion, in Manchester St, was designed by the England Brothers and built from kauri in 1900 for wealthy Scotsman Allan McLean. It has 53 rooms and was reputed to be the largest timber framed residence in New Zealand at the time of its construction.

Designed in the Jacobean Revival style, the building is listed by Heritage New Zealand as a category one historic building - the highest possible ranking.

It has been under threat of demolition since the earthquakes, but now the newly formed McLean’s Mansion Charitable Trust have come up with a plan to buy the building and turn it into an art gallery.

The trust was set up by businessman, engineer and heritage building owner Trevor Lord, who has enlisted acclaimed artist Philip Trusttum, curator and art critic Warren Feeney, and leading architect David Sheppard as fellow trustees.

The trust, which also has the support of New Zealand’s biggest private art collector Sir James Wallace, has been working to raise the funds needed to repair the earthquake damage to the building and to renovate it so it can function as an art gallery.

McLean’s Mansion has sat empty since the earthquakes. The owners are seeking to sell it in its current damaged state, with no insurance payment.

The grant approved by the Council today is conditional on the trust successfully purchasing the building and on the agreed scope of works being completed.