26 January 2015

Pick your favourite name for the new Halswell facility

The community has until Sunday 8 February to vote for one of six possible names for the new library, pool and community facility currently under construction in Halswell.

In a competition run from December 2014 – January 2015, Christchurch City Council received 162 valid suggestions from the public. A panel have sorted through the entries and selected six finalists, which can be voted on at www.ccc.govt.nz/YouNameIt

“The entries ran the gamut from really concise to really creative, and we had a good time whittling it down to six,” says David Adamson, Director Council Facilities and Infrastructure Rebuild. “There were a lot of clear trends and favourites. Unfortunately, a lot of great suggestions had to be culled for various reasons, but we’ve got a strong shortlist.”

The names that will be voted on by the public are:
• The All’s Well Centre
• Community Spirit
• The Halswell Centre
• Halswell Manawa (manawa to mean heart)
• Heart of Halswell
• The Well

“We’re after something short, catchy and colloquial that can go up on the sign and complement the official te reo Māori name,” Mr Adamson says. “Anyone who’s been down Halswell Road lately and seen the steel going up knows that this facility will be an impressive piece of work – it’s going to be namedropped in conversation for generations to come, so having a say in what we call it is a nice opportunity.”

The public will be able to vote on the top suggestions until Sunday 8 February at www.ccc.govt.nz/YouNameIt, and the person or people whose suggestions get the most votes will receive a pass to any Christchurch City Council pool. The announcement of the winning name is scheduled for March, when the results will go to the Riccarton–Wigram Community Board for the final decision.

The facility incorporates the existing Halswell Aquatic Centre alongside a 3000 square metre building housing the new library, customer service desk and multipurpose spaces. The complex, fronting onto Halswell Road, will create a hub for the rapidly-growing Halswell community. Work on the 3050 square-metre centre (1800 square-metre library, 1000 square-metre community facility and 250 square-metre pool office/changing room areas) started on Monday 14 July and the opening is scheduled for November 2015.

For more information, please visit www.ccc.govt.nz/YouNameIt

ENDS

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