Cromwell Memorial Hall & Events Centre

Cromwell events centre project advances - CODC media release

Cromwell hall gets $7 million lifeline via vague land deal | Crux - Local News - Queenstown, Wanaka and Cromwell.

Planned hall showcased with VR | Otago Daily Times Online News (odt.co.nz)

Public impatient to see community complex built - News - News - The Central App

Plans for Cromwell's hall of the future come to life | Crux - Local News - Queenstown, Wanaka and Cromwell.

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.

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.

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.

The investigation phase of the Cromwell Memorial Hall/Events Centre project is well underway, with a number of workshops and meetings held with stakeholders in late January.

The Project Advisory Group – comprising Cromwell Community Board Chair Anna Harrison and Cromwell Councillor and board member Nigel McKinlay, Executive Manager – Planning and Environment Louise van der Voort and Property and Facilities Manager Garreth Robinson – and project team members met with the architect and design practitioners led by Jasmax on 25 January for a full-day workshop covering the project’s vision, objectives, sustainability and resilience.

On either side of the workshop day Jasmax held its first round of meetings with representatives from the Cromwell RSA, Cromwell Museum and Old Cromwell and the Cromwell Town & Country Club. Meetings with representatives from the Cromwell Cultural Centre Trust and the Fine Thyme Theatre Company are happening this week.

Cromwell Masterplan Project Manager Darren Penketh said a lot of interesting discussions have taken place during the sessions and he was excited to see what Jasmax return with after the next round of workshops later this month.

The next round of workshops will focus on site constraints and opportunities; benchmarking and building accommodation requirements; and the technical, functional and operational requirements.

December

The External Stakeholders Group met for the first time on 3 December 2021.

Due to Jess Sutherland's involvement in the project as Jasmax's local architect partner, she has been replaced on the group by James Dicey to represent the Cromwell Cultural Centre Trust. James was unable to make Friday's meeting. The four other members of the group are pictured below.

Members from left: Jennifer Hay (Cromwell Museum), Mark O’Connor (Cromwell Town and Country Club), Katie Lindsay (Fine Thyme Theatre Company) and Denis Ryan (Cromwell RSA).

November

Design contract awarded for Cromwell hall/events centre project.

External Stakeholder Group members confirmed.

October

CEO delegation for awarding design tender.

CODC advertising for architectural services for Cromwell Hall project.

2018 - Cromwell Masterplan engagement

The engagement document 'Let's Talk Options' summarised the Masterplan options that were developed by the Masterplan Team with three key work streams: managing growth, improving the town centre and civic facilities, and resolving the future of the Memorial Hall and Heritage Precinct.

The Masterplan Options Survey Analysis report summarises what the community thought of the options presented in the Let's Talk Options engagement document.

These results have formed the basis of the development of the Cromwell Memorial Hall.

2019 - Cromwell Masterplan Spatial Framework

The Cromwell Community Board adopted Stage 1 of the Cromwell 'Eye to the Future' Masterplan (the Masterplan) in May 2019.

Stage 1 is the Spatial Plan that provides a coordinated approach to growth management for Cromwell over the next 30 years.

The framework reflects the community's preferred option of growth focused within Cromwell and includes residential zones at a number of densities, increased housing options and amenity through more intensified development within the walkable distance from the town centre, design guidelines for subdivision and residential development, provisions to support greenway retention and development and increased industrial opportunities.

These initiatives will be delivered through a series of changes to the Central Otago District Plan. The community will once again have an opportunity to submit to any or all of the plan changes.

The next stages of the Masterplan are the Town Centre Precinct and the Arts and Culture Precinct, which include a number of significant capital projects. Before the Community Board can consider adopting the next stages further financial modelling of options is required to understand affordability, timing and funding options. The community will have an opportunity to have a say on funding options and how their rates will be impacted through the Long-term Plan (2021-2031) process.

2021 - Long-term Plan 2021-2031 community consultation

The Cromwell Masterplan and options for how to progress the town centre and the arts, culture and heritage precinct projects were the big-ticket items in the Long-term Plan consultation.

Sixty percent of submitters to the Long-term Plan consultation process were from the Cromwell Ward. The Cromwell Community Board had a full day listening to more than 60 submitters who wished to speak in support of their submissions. The Board was thankful for how passionate and engaged its community continues to be in the Cromwell Masterplan process. Three key things came through loud and clear through verbal and written submissions related to the Arts, Culture and Heritage Precinct projects:

1. that the community wants a hall/events centre that caters for both future growth and future opportunities, and the size needs to be appropriate to achieve this goal;
2. that options for construction, operation and ownership of this facility need to be explored – with a call for a trust to take it over; and
3. that we need to get on with it.

This strong community voice was heard by community board members and councillors, and is reflected in the decisions. Council agreed to the recommendations from the Cromwell Community Board relating to the Arts, Culture and Heritage Precinct projects that it proceed with the preferred option for the hall/events centre and the museum as set out in the consultation document. The Board recommended Council acknowledge the size of the hall/event centre can change as necessary once further planning and detailed design work has been undertaken to understand the needs, growth and further opportunities for Cromwell and district. This work will also explore options for construction, operation and ownership of the facility.