8 March, 2025

Cracks appear in heritage building

Needs work… Kennedy Park Observation Post, which has a crack (inset) where a rear washroom is attached to the main building

Cracks in the Kennedy Park Observation Post are causing concern ahead of a decision on whether to spend $150,000 upgrading the heritage building.
Speaking to the Devonport Takapuna Local Board at its community forum, Bronwyn Bound, who manages the bookings for the building, said due to the park’s often boggy ground drying out this summer, the back washroom had started “coming away” from the building, creating large cracks.
Bound, who is also Sunnynook Community Centre manager, said some cracking happened whenever the ground dried out but she had never seen such a big gap before.
The rest of the building is in good condition. Bound believed the washroom might be an add-on, built after the main structure.
She told the Observer council contractors were investigating.
The building, which was disguised to look like an ice-cream kiosk from above, was used to monitor air traffic and shipping in the Hauraki Gulf during World War II.
Bound said pre-Covid the building would have around eight birthday party bookings a month, but this had fallen to around two.
She put this down to the cost-of-living crisis, with people preferring low-cost options such as going to the beach or having a picnic.
The venue was regularly booked by North Shore clubs and crafts groups but it had no wi-fi and could not be used in the evenings, which limited interest, Bound said.
Auckland Council area operations manager Eloi Fonseca said a $150,000 renewal project for the building would be put before the local board in March. The board would decide whether to fund the project.
If funding was approved, design work would start in the 2025-2026 financial year, with physical work starting in 2026-2027.
The Castor Bay Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association have urged the local board and council to act quickly to prevent further damage.

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