Under cover of darkness, a huge crane worked away at the former Conservation House, on the corner of Cumberland and Lower Stuart Streets, in central Dunedin last night.

The top three floors of the four-storey building are being developed into a nineteen unit boutique hotel.

The building, built in nineteen ten, is category two listed and is on the council's heritage schedule.

It was originally the premises of engineering company John Chambers & Son.

The crane was used to remove building materials from the roof area.

A foreman working on the site says he can't comment on the nature of the work.

Cycle World Dunedin is situated on the ground floor of the building.

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