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Town Hall to be conserved
Thursday 29 August
2013
Town Hall to be
conserved
Christchurch City Council has unanimously agreed the Town Hall should be fully restored, with construction expected to begin in 2014.
The Council today also confirmed the Council-led Performing Arts Precinct will include the fully restored Town Hall, a new Court Theatre and homes for the Music Centre of Christchurch and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO).
The Council will now engage with Town Hall users to gain greater understanding of their requirements for each of the performance spaces and begin detailed design work. The tender for the construction work is expected to go out early next year.
Consultation with the Music Centre, CSO and the Court Theatre and other community groups to understand their needs for the Performing Arts Precinct will also continue.
Mayor Bob Parker applauded councillors for making the
right decision for the city.
“This is an historic day
for our city – the day we decided this icon should be
saved, restored, improved and rise again to be enjoyed by
many generations to come.
“The Town Hall will be a
jewel in the crown of a vibrant Performing Arts Precinct and
we look forward to working with the arts community, and
other users, to look at how its performance spaces can best
meet their needs.
“We have been working closely with
key users about their requirements for the Performing Arts
Precinct for some time and it’s wonderful that this can
now continue in earnest.”
Councillors were presented
with four options to fully or partially retain the Town Hall
and approved the first option. Councillors today agreed to
retain the auditorium, entrance foyer, James Hay Theatre and
the Limes Room. The Boaters and the Cambridge Room will be
rebuilt. New lighting, audio-visual and sound systems will
be installed, the size of the entrance foyer increased, and
the acoustics upgraded in the James Hay Theatre. The outside
of the building will remain largely unchanged, apart from
some angle bracing, which will be installed around Boaters
Restaurant.
The Council has budgeted a total of $158 million for the Performing Arts Precinct, including the restoration of the Town Hall. The restoration of the Town Hall is expected to cost $127.5 million, with the remainder allocated to new facilities for the Court Theatre, Music Centre and CSO. The Council today also agreed to separate the budgets for the Town Hall restoration and the other Performing Arts facilities, ring-fencing $30 million for the Music Centre, Court Theatre and CSO buildings.
In November
2012 the Council voted unanimously to repair the existing
facility to 100 per cent of New Building Standard (NBS).
As part of the cost-sharing agreement with the Crown, it
was agreed the Council would oversee the development of a
new performing arts precinct, including the Town Hall,
adjacent to the Theatre Royal. The Council committed to
considering several options for the Precinct, including the
Town Hall, by 31 August this year.
For more information,
including links to engineering reports for the Town Hall,
visit
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/townhallperformingarts
ENDS
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