The cottages, at 59, 61 and 65 Buckingham St, were part of a parcel of land bought by the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) for $1.9 million in February last year. The previous owner, Irish developer Eamon Cleary, had been accused of neglecting the properties.
The Buckingham Cottages Trust was formed following the sale to manage the restoration project and raise funds.
Yesterday, trust chairman David Clarke, of Arrowtown, said $420,000 had been raised so far but another $80,000 was needed before restoration work could begin.
So far the QLDC and the Community Trust of Southland (CTOS) had each contributed $100,000 while the Central Lakes Trust had provided a $220,000 grant, he said.
The fund-raising process had been more drawn out than first expected and the estimated repair bill had increased as the extent of decay in one of the buildings - Romans Cottage, built about 1874 - became clear, he said.
‘‘We had hoped to be started by now because that Romans Cottage is in a bit of a precarious condition,'' Mr Clarke said.
‘‘Romans Cottage was much more seriously decayed than we thought.''
The trust needed to have funding pledges totalling $500,000 confirmed before community trusts would make their contributions available, he said.
Mr Clarke hoped to meet QLDC representatives later this week to discuss additional funding to get them over the mark.
The CTOS had also offered the trust a $100,000 interest-free loan but accepting it would be a last resort if other grants or further council funding was not forthcoming, he said.
So far, minor remedial work had been carried out on one of the cottages - Adams Cottage, built in 1878 - to prevent water seeping in, he said.
Work had also been carried out to remove wall cladding and floorboards from Romans Cottage to allow a conservation architect to inspect the building's foundations, he said.
Tree roots that had grown under floorboards and spread through wall cavities into the ceiling had been removed and bird and rat nests had also been discovered in the attic.
The cottage's ‘‘full makeover'' could be delayed if further funding was not forthcoming before winter set in, he said. Smaller projects planned for the other two cottages could be undertaken instead before work started on Romans Cottage next summer.
The conservation architect was preparing a design plan that would see all three cottages restored to a state in keeping with their Historic Places Trust classification, he said.
Plans were also being drawn up to establish public gardens at the back of the cottages, with walkways linking them and possibly as far as the Arrow River and nearby bar, The Tap.
Romans Cottage would also be lifted 150mm and a concrete slab foundation established underneath to prevent rotting of its exterior timbers and floorboards while Adams Cottage next door might also have concrete piles added, he said.
Sympathetic commercial development was also planned for land behind the cottages possibly including cafes, galleries and visitor accommodation, he said.
Trust members would be negotiating with four private landowners in the surrounding area and public workshops outlining any development proposals would likely be held before a resource consent application was filed, he said.
‘‘We want it to be something that people want. I think people will be supportive of it,'' he said.
‘‘First and foremost priority is to restore the cottages. In tandem, we are trying to move this other project along. The cottages have to have some commercial life,'' he said.
