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Cromwell Events Centre – momentum continues
Another step forward in the realisation of the new Cromwell Memorial Hall and Events Centre has happened this month with the Building Consent application submitted to Council.
This now starts the Central Otago District Council’s process to gain approval to construct the facility and ensure it meets all current regulations.
Jasmax, the architects of the project, are approaching completion of the detailed design phase of the project, following endorsement of the developed design by the Cromwell Community Board at their May meeting. At the same time, work has been continuing with external funders to seek support for the project capital investment.
The tender process for the physical works (demolition and building) commenced on 18 September when the four shortlisted respondents from the initial registration of interest procurement process were invited to a site briefing by Council’s evaluation team. This team comprised representatives of Council’s property team and external consultants covering architectural and engineering disciplines. At the briefing, the respondents were given a more detailed brief of the project, invited to ask questions, given access to the site to get a feel for the surrounding area of the hall, and had the opportunity to better understand what will be required in their tender responses. Whilst on site it was also a good opportunity for Council to emphasise the need for the contractors to minimise disruption to the neighbouring properties throughout the project. Tenders close on 2 November and will then be evaluated by the team. This tender timeline means that the demolition of the existing hall will now be in early 2024 to give time for the winning tenderer to fully prepare the site prior to work commencement.
Until the tenders close, Council will be preparing the contract documentation to ensure all legalities are covered and ready for signing by both parties when the winning tender is confirmed. Discussions will continue with the museum to confirm how the relocation of artifacts will be undertaken when the time is right. Plans will be solidified on how the community can say goodbye to the hall before the demolition work starts.
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Project Update
- The final stages of design (detailed design) are scheduled to be complete in August, which keep the project on track.
- Engagement has begun with potential contractors to build to build the hall, using the approved detailed design, which includes both community and commercial functionality.
- Prior to demolition of the former Cromwell Memorial Hall, a farewell ceremony will be held. Watch this space for more details on how you can share your stories and memories of the hall.
In the News
Cromwell Museum News - Cromwell Bulletin
Out with the old, in with the new, says RSA - CODC media release
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New hall another step closer with move to design phase (13 September)
The Cromwell community is a step closer to getting a new hall, with multiple paths open to how that journey might progress.
The Cromwell Community Board yesterday (12 September) approved the concept design for the new Cromwell Memorial Hall/Events Centre presented by consultants and approved the project to move into the design phase.
The Board noted the estimated costs of $37.89 million presented at the meeting for a turn-key building including contingencies and landscaping.
CCB Chair Anna Harrison said they Board did not want to be locked into something its community could not afford or deliver but noted there were multiple paths forward including phasing the project, seeking alternate funding through funding agencies, and scaling back the project.
The Board also approved investigation of salvage and repurpose options for material from within the existing Cromwell Memorial Hall.
The next steps are applications to funding agencies. Following outcomes of these applications there will be a report back to the Board with the proposal including the options for phasing, reducing the scale, and any request for additional funding.
The 'Cromwell Memorial Hall and Events Centre - Concept Design' document details the different spaces and the 'key moves' of the concept design. Check it out via the link or in the Key Documents section on the main page.
Cromwell Hall project concept design to be discussed (7 September)
The Cromwell Community Board will be meeting on Monday 12 September to consider a report regarding the concept design of the new Cromwell Memorial Hall/Events Centre and to proceed with funding applications.
This follows the last Board meeting in August when the design scope was presented and approved.
Funding for the Cromwell Memorial Hall/Events Centre Project was approved in the Long-term Plan 2021-31 (LTP).
The project was awarded to Jasmax in December 2021, which commenced the design investigation stage in early 2022.
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The Cromwell Memorial Hall is to be closed immediately to enable assessment of the demolition requirements of the building ahead of its removal. This is a key step in the delivery of a new facility on the site as part of the Cromwell Masterplan.
At the Cromwell Community Board on Tuesday 21 June, members made a decision to close the hall, noting that the monthly running costs for the hall, including electricity and water etc, which were estimated to be about $600, and the July building warrant of fitness cost of $850, now exceeded the revenue the hall was bringing in.
A demolition date is yet to be set for the hall. The Cromwell Community Board will receive a report regarding demolition when high level costs and concept plans are available.
Tenants, who were already aware of the imminent closure, had been informed and had already found alternative accommodation for their activities, Central Otago District Council Project Manager – Property Darren Penketh said. This had contributed to the decline in revenue.
Cromwell Community Hall will close to allow the Council team to get on with the next phase in the complex's redevelopment.
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At its 29 March meeting the Cromwell Community Board was presented with a report to consider closing the current Cromwell Memorial Hall and the project delivery process for the Cromwell Memorial Hall/Events Centre project.
After discussion, the Board agreed to put the item on hold until it had a better understanding of what they would be delivering for the community.
Cromwell Community Board Chair and Project Advisory Group member Anna Harrison said on the Board’s Facebook page that the board is “fully behind the building of a new hall/events centre but would like to see some concept plans and initial costings before the existing hall is closed and demolished”.
“The intention is not to slow things down. The Board wants to ensure the concept designs tick those boxes of what the community has said it wants and needs from the new hall before we proceed to demolition.”
While the Board put those decisions on hold, work has been progressing behind the scenes on the investigation phase of the project. Investigations got underway with workshops and meetings in with stakeholders in January and mid-February. These focused on the project vision, objectives, sustainability, resilience, the site, benchmarking, functional and operational requirements for the build.
Project Manager Darren Penketh said other key pieces of work that have been completed that will inform the design included geotechnical and asbestos reports and input from theatre specialists.
A visual timeline for the project has also been created to illustrate the stages of the project. It indicates the key milestones along the way where the community can expect to hear from Council with updates. The next step in the process is the delivery of concept design plans, expected in August.