21 September 2018
Masterton District Council is in the process of advising parties interested in partnering in the civic centre project of next steps.
In August the Council called for parties to express any interest they had in partnering on the project. Four expressions of interest were received.
The Council has now begun advising parties of the outcome of its evaluation process. The next step will be to further discuss what sort of partnerships could be developed and request proposals from the successful interested parties.
Chief Executive Kath Ross said the Council would also firm up some of the details around what the Council expected from the development.
“For example, we need to decide how large we want the venue to be and talk to potential partners around how that may fit with their investment interests.
“Because this is a large, complex project with significant ratepayer funds at stake, Council is not able to share any further details of the discussions at this point in time or the parties involved.
“We are committed to keeping our community up to date and will share information as soon as it is appropriate to do so.”
Ms Ross said this was an exciting development for Masterton, but it was important to approach it with a long-term view.
“We want to make sure we get this development right and follow the correct process to ensure the best outcome for Masterton. This sort of project is a marathon, not a sprint – we’re in it for the long-haul.”
All information about the project can be found at https://mastertontown.nz
ENDS
For further information contact Kath Ross via 06 370 6300
Background
Masterton’s combined town hall and district building was closed in June 2016 due to having an earthquake rating below the required standard.
In 2017 we asked you for options for the town hall – two thirds of those that responded indicated they would prefer to see a new centre built. In 2018 we again consulted as part of our Long-Term Plan development. Almost 60 per cent of respondents supported the Council’s preferred option of building a new civic centre and the $15.5 million budget.